Won't Get Fooled Again
by Sean Gaffney
Summary: A sequel to my fic I Am One, this is a crossover between the Dirty Pair, Robert Heinlein's Future History, and certain characters from Evangelion. And lots of other stuff. It's big. I wrote it in 1997. Enjoy.
1. Part 1: Goin' Mobile

Won't Get Fooled Again  
  
by Sean Gaffney  
  
(deep breath) The characters of Kei, Yuri, Mughi and the 3WA itself are (C) Haruka Takachiho. Shasti, Deirdre, and Cory Emerson are (C) Toren Smith and Adam Warren. Lazarus Long and all his family are (C) Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein. Asuka and Rei are (C) Gainax. Jimmy is mine, although he is based very much on Roger Daltrey. I do believe that's it. :-)  
  
This story takes place: a) some time after the DP manga "Fatal But Not Serious", b) sometime after the Heinlein novel "To Sail Beyond the Sunset". The flashbacks, interspersed throughout, take place: a) between the DP mangas "A Plague of Angels" and "Sim Hell" and b) between the Heinlein novels "The Number of the Beast" and "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls". Asuka and Rei are from an alternate universe, and don't impact with the normal Evangelion timeline at all. In addition, this takes place after my DP story "I Am One", and that story should be read first.  
  
Have I bored you to tears yet? Here we go!  
  
  
Part One: Goin' Mobile  
  
Shasti sat in the darkness, listening to the various sounds coming from the Lovely Angel. She could hear the ship's engines as they took them to an unknown destination. Unknown to Shasti, at least. She was trusting Kei, Yuri and Cory to get help for all of them. It was difficult for her. She wanted to do the job herself. That way, she could count on it being done properly, and if she failed, there wouldn't be any partitioning of blame.  
  
Cory had ceased ranting for the moment, and Shasti could hear the quiet click of a keyboard. *Don't tell me she's trying to write this up as a story,* Shasti thought. *I doubt she'll ever get back to her magazine now.* The ruination of Cory's journalistic career was another thing that weighed on Shasti's mind.  
  
There was so much blame that could be laid at her doorstep, and she didn't know what to do with it. For over five years, she had killed, robbed, and blasted her way through life. Now that her mind was reasonably sane again, she wasn't sure whether or not she could cope with that knowledge.  
  
Cory had tried to give Shasti back her mind, and had succeeded for the most part. She still heard voices from her head that sounded like one of her four personalities, but more and more they all sounded like _her_. Different aspects, but still Shasti.  
  
She turned and looked at Deirdre laying in the next bed, sleeping soundly. She too had been manipulated, a clone created by Jimmy to kill Shasti. But the clone had been too perfect, and the real Deirdre was able to break free of her creator's manipulation.  
  
Seeing Deirdre alive and sleeping next to her disturbed Shasti more than she would care to admit. Deirdre's death had always preyed on her mind, even in her worst moments of insanity. There was an odd gap in her consciousness now that she could no longer grieve for her. Was she that desperate for feelings, _any_ feelings, that she would rather see her friend dead?  
  
A stabbing pain seemed to shoot through her heart. No. She would rather die a thousand times than see Deirdre die again.  
  
Deirdre's face suddenly crumpled, then she cried out. She sat bolt upright in bed, still shaking somewhat.  
  
Shasti looked sympathetic, and also a little wistful. "Did you have a nightmare?"  
  
Deirdre nodded. "I suppose it's only to be expected. I mean, like, after what we had to go through, who wouldn't have nightmares?"  
  
Shasti turned away slightly. "Me."  
  
Deirdre realised her mistake almost at once. "Oh, Shasti, I'm sorry. I forgot."  
  
Shasti smiled half-heartedly. "It's all right. I can imagine that the nightmares help somewhat?"  
  
This time it was Deirdre who looked away. "Dreams and nightmares do help, yes. It's part of the human mind's way of sorting through the day's events."  
  
Shasti said nothing, merely laying down on her bed to stare at the ceiling.  
  
Shortly after they'd been assigned as partners, Deirdre had discovered that Shasti did not dream. Shasti seemed surprised to hear what dreaming was about, and declared that she didn't mind in the slightest. As they got closer, however, Shasti started to confess to Deirdre some of her feelings of inadequacy. It could only be between the two of them, for the 3WA would never have tolerated any admission of weakness.  
  
Shasti confessed that there were things that she yearned to do that she never could. At the top of her list was dreaming. After they talked about it, Deirdre made a point of not bringing the subject up. She always noticed, though, that whenever she woke from a nightmare, Shasti would be there, staring at her with an odd mixture of compassion and jealousy.  
  
Deirdre cursed herself for forgetting about this. She got up and went to the bed, taking Shasti's hand. "I guess it's not going to be as easy as we thought, huh?"  
  
Shasti turned towards her, though she remained laying down. "What do you mean?"  
  
Deirdre smiled weakly. "I had thought now that we were all right again, things would, like, go right back to normal, y'know? The old team again, the best of friends, no problems."  
  
Shasti didn't answer for a long time, thinking over what Deirdre was saying. Finally, she spoke up.  
  
"It's not going to be easy. It'll take a while for us to get back to how it used to be, if it ever does. We're different people now, Deirdre, with different experiences." She got up and clasped Deirdre's hand in her own. "But don't ever think that it will be difficult for us to be friends. You will always be my best friend, Deirdre. I forgot that once. It will never happen again."  
  
Deirdre was embarrassed to discover that she had tears in her eyes. She gathered Shasti into a tight hug. "I forgot too, for a bit. Let's make sure that we always remember our friendship."  
  
Shasti was crying as well. "I promise."  
  
Deirdre drew back and looked at Shasti's face. "You may not be able to dream, Shasti. But you can laugh and cry, and those are two of the most important human qualities there are. There's no doubt in my mind as to whether or not you're human."  
  
Before Shasti could reply the intercom buzzed. "Cory here, guys. We've arrived, and Tertius is hailing us. I'd rather not answer them, so I'm going to go get Kei and Yuri."  
  
Shasti and Deirdre looked at each other, puzzled. "OK, but do you think they're in any shape to do so?"  
  
Cory snorted. "Trust me, they're _bound_ to make a better impression on this place's resident lord than I will..."  
  
***  
  
Cory opened to door to Kei and Yuri's quarters silently, in case the two of them were still asleep. No such luck. They were both wide awake, staring at the ceiling. Mughi sat between the two beds, wanting to help them but not knowing what to do.  
  
However, Cory needed them right now. "Um, hi? We're here, and they're hailing us. It's not Athene this time, so I think you should answer so that I don't screw things up. God only knows what would happen if a new computer patched me through to _him_ or something...um, hello?"  
  
Kei and Yuri hadn't even reacted when she spoke. Cory sighed. She had hoped that their little breakdown shortly after getting away was a sign that they were beginning the healing process. It seemed that it was going to take a lot longer than that.  
  
She spoke up again. "Guys, come on. We need to get down there and see if the 3WA has any more surprises in our heads. For all we know, the three of us could be containing bombs or something."  
  
Kei still didn't move, but she spoke quietly. "That's true. Hey, we could even have something in our heads that turns us against our closest friends, and forces them to kill us."  
  
"There was nothing you could have done."  
  
Yuri suddenly leaped out of bed, coming right up to Cory's face. "Bullshit! We should have been able to do something! Clarisse was our friend! We owed it to her!"  
  
"Clarisse was gone!" Cory was beginning to get mad despite herself, trying to break through the Angels' self-pity. "Jimmy killed her and the rest as soon as he erased their minds. Deirdre told me that once he did that, they were _dead_! There was no getting them back!"  
  
Yuri was brought up short by Cory's anger. Kei sat up too, looking into her eyes. "We shouldn't have had to finish the job."  
  
Cory sighed. "She was turned into a mindless killer. She would have continued until Shasti was dead, and then Jimmy would probably have gotten rid of her and her fellow agents anyway. Face it, there wasn't a lot you could do because it wasn't your fight. All of this was between Shasti and Jimmy. We were merely incidental."  
  
Yuri spoke up. "And that's supposed to help?"  
  
"Well, it's a lot better than blaming yourself for everything that went wrong! Look, once we get to Boondock and Ishtar takes a look at us, you can grieve to your heart's content. But for now, please try to cope. We need to get down to the surface, _I_ can't land this thing, Deirdre and Shasti aren't familiar with your ship. Plus you two like everyone down there. You can deal with them."  
  
Cory tried to see if anything she said had gotten through. The two women paused for a moment, still lost in thought. Then Kei said, "Fine. Let's get ourselves checked out."  
  
Yuri grunted as she got up, her shoulder still only rudimentally fixed. "Probably a good idea."  
  
Cory frowned. Well, they weren't what you'd call back to normal yet, but it'd do. Now to go hide...  
  
***  
  
After saying who it was, and a quick rundown of possible medical problems, they were allowed to land right next to Dora, so that they could get to the clinic as soon as possible. There to greet them were Ishtar, the head of Boondock's medical department, Maureen and Minerva, who were acting as her assistants, and Hilda, who was there because tehy were dealing with an interuniversal meeting. Also present was Lazarus Long, the oldest human being alive (though he didn't look it.) Lazarus didn't really need to be there, but that had never stopped him before.  
  
They were rather surprised at the group who emerged from the Lovely Angel. Kei and Yuri were a far cry from their usual brash, confident selves, and also looked to be wounded. Following them were two others, trouble consultants by the look of their uniforms. They didn't seem to have any physical injuries, but their eyes were just as haunted as those of the Angels.  
  
The tall brunette turned around as they left the ship. "Are you coming out, Cory?"  
  
The answer was shouted from within the ship. "Is _he_ out there?"  
  
The brunette looked puzzled. "He who?"  
  
Kei and Yuri, despite their injuries, sighed at this. Some things never change, they both thought. "Yes, he's out here."  
  
"I want him gone! I'm not leaving the ship until I hear he's gone!"  
  
Yuri shouted back. "Cory, this is childish!"  
  
"Damn straight! How does that make me different from him?"  
  
Ishtar spoke up. "How bad are your injuries?"  
  
The blonde was the one who answered. "Kei and Yuri are badly hurt, and we have no idea how many dirty tricks have been implanted in our minds, or when they could be activated."  
  
That was enough for Ishtar. "Lazarus, get out."  
  
Lazarus began to bristle. "I am not going to be told what to do by some jumped-up cub reporter who, for some odd reason, has developed an irrational dislike of me. I refuse -- "  
  
Ishtar cut him off coldly. "She's not telling you what to do. I am. Leave now, for the sake and safety of my patients."  
  
Lazarus looked around, but saw that Hilda and Maureen wore the same expressions of stubbornness. He wouldn't even get help from Minerva this time. With an air of great suffering, he left the clinic. *I'll just have Dora keep an eye on them,* he thought.  
  
Meanwhile Cory peered her head round the doors of the Angel. Seeing that Lazarus wasn't around, she sighed in relief and stepped out. "Hello, everyone -- " She wasn't allowed to finish the sentence, as Ishtar gave her a cold look.  
  
"And as for you, Ms. Emerson, if I find that you have endangered the lives of anyone here with this childish act of yours, I will make your life far more difficult than Lazarus ever did. Is that understood? This is a hospital, and therefore we do not put up with foolishness."  
  
Cory had turned a bright red. "I'm...I'm sorry. He brings out the worst in me."  
  
"Now, who can explain for me quickly and simply what happened and exactly why you are worried."  
  
Between the five of them, the story of Shasti's recovery and Jimmy's attempted revenge was told. Minerva seemed to show a special interest in what the Central Computer had to say about all of this. She wanted to ask them a few questions, but Ishtar moved quickly. She had been examining the five of them, and quickly whispered in Maureen and Hilda's ears. She then gave each of them a small sedative, and also gave one to Minerva.  
  
She turned back to the little group. "First of all, the five of you are much too tense. I'm giving each of you a relaxation injection to calm you down. Minerva, Kei and Yuri please?"  
  
Minerva nodded. However, before she could give the shot to the two Angels, Ishtar, Hilda and Maureen had each quietly injected the other three. Cory, Deirdre, and Shasti dropped like stones to the ground, unconscious.  
  
Kei and Yuri reacted quickly, turning on Minerva. There was a hurt expression on their faces. "Hey, what's going on here?" asked Yuri.  
  
"I don't want to be _that_ relaxed!" added Kei.  
  
Ishtar waved Minerva off. "That was just a pretext. I had no idea what to expect, so I scanned for everything I could think of. The two of you have a nasty cybervirus in your head, but you already know the details of that one, and it's in no danger of being used in this universe. The other three, however, have so many time-delayed wetware poisons running through them that I'm not even sure if I can save them. I didn't know how they would react to this, or more specifically how the infected part of them would, so I gave them a shot to knock them out. They should be out for quite some time, and we'll see what we can do." She signalled for three hovercarts, which magically appeared, and Hilda and Maureen began to put the unconscious Shasti, Deirdre and Cory on them and lead them into the bowels of the clinic.  
  
Ishtar turned to Minerva. "Minnie, get Kei and Yuri to Room Four. Have Galahad give them a once-over," she said, ignoring Yuri's groan, "and then have him see me for recommendations."  
  
She came back to the Angels. "Even though there's no immediate danger in your cyberviruses, I'd still like to get them out of there as soon as possible, both for your peace of mind and my own. The idea that there is someone out there in the multiverse who would deliberately engineer something like this is monstrous. He is dead, you say?"  
  
Kei nodded. "Deirdre killed him."  
  
Ishtar frowned. "Killing would have been a mercy to him, and frankly I'm not inclined to show him any. But what's done is done. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go look at the others, especially Shasti."  
  
"Is there anything you can do?" asked Yuri.  
  
Ishtar turned back, unsure. "I don't know. Shasti is a bioroid, unlike the rest of you. Her cyberware and hardware is as much a part of her as your heart and lungs. It may be impossible to separate the two. I have an idea on how to get around it, but I'd have to talk to her about it. Which may be dangerous in and of itself."  
  
Ishtar snapped out of her funk. "Which is all the more reason why I should get a move on. I'll see you in a little while, ladies."  
  
As she left the two of them stopped her once more. "Ishtar? Thanks for doing this. I mean, considering the mess we gave you last time..."  
  
Ishtar smiled. "You were no trouble at all. In fact, Laz and Lor will be ecstatic when they find out you're back. No, the only one who will be put out by your visit is Lazarus."  
  
As she walked away, she called behind her. "And what better reason is there for a visit than that?"  
  
***  
  
As Ishtar entered Room 3, where Cory was currently laying on a bed, still unconscious, she was rather surprised to find Lazarus standing by the door staring at her.  
  
Lazarus turned, looking rather sheepish. "She hasn't woken up, so I think we're safe."  
  
Ishtar's eyes narrowed. "Safe from her, perhaps. Lazarus, do you take pleasure in flouting me?"  
  
Lazarus turned away from her gaze. "You never said I couldn't see her here."  
  
Ishtar sighed. "Sometimes I find it difficult to believe that you ever grew up, Lazarus. She doesn't want to see you."  
  
Lazarus frowned. "I know."  
  
Ishtar began to realise that there might be more to this. "I thought that you disliked her as much as she disliked you. Why the concern all of a sudden?"  
  
Lazarus wouldn't answer, instead going back to looking at Cory. Ishtar decided to try and answer the question herself.  
  
"You're bothered by the fact that she seems to hate you and it wasn't your choice. You have no idea how to convince her that you're really a charming rogue whom everybody loves. And because of that, you get even more defensive around her, am I right?"  
  
Lazarus looked back at Ishtar sharply. "Can I keep any of the thoughts in my head a secret these days?"  
  
Hilda walked into the room. "Face it, Lazarus, you're an open book when it comes to women." She looked up at Lazarus, thoroughly unintimidated by the fact that he had over a foot of height on her. "Here's my recommendation: shut up around her. The reason she dislikes you is that you can't keep your big mouth closed. Cory is already very uncomfortable in Boondock. She told me so last time. She has a low self-opinion, and hanging around with us gorgeous gals didn't help."  
  
Ishtar took over. "If you are polite to her, rather than treating her like you treat the rest of us, then perhaps eventually she may admit there's more to you than meets the eye. The problem is that you two are far too similar for your own good, and she can be incredibly stubborn."  
  
Lazarus continued to sulk, but it was obvious from his eyes that he would give Hilda and Ishtar's suggestion some thought. He grumbled and left the room, and Ishtar began to see how Cory was faring.  
  
Hilda caught up with Lazarus a little ways down the corridor. "Lazarus, there's something else. What did you think of their explanation of that man, Jimmy?"  
  
Lazarus turned and attempted to put an innocent expression on his face. He was totally unsuccessful. "But Hilda, my dear, you know that I left the room before I could hear anything -- "  
  
Hilda ran right over his sentence. "Lazarus, quit trying to one-up me. When you were having Dora spy on us, and listening to their explanation, what did you think?"  
  
Lazarus gave up and considered the problem. "Sounds like a rather nasty piece of work to me. But that's all in the past."  
  
"Is it?" Hilda was getting a shrewd look on her face. "Considering what we've been told of Jimmy, I find it impossible to believe that he would allow himself to be killed like that. The entire final fight Shasti told us about seems false somehow."  
  
Now Lazarus was equally serious. "You want the Time Corps to scout it out?"  
  
Hilda nodded. "And if it's as serious as I think, I want to call the Circle. This could be a major operation."  
  
***  
  
Deirdre awoke slowly, attempting to get a sense of her surroundings. She was in what looked like a hospital, except that no hospital room was ever as spacious as this. Didn't they know that the room was supposed to be cramped, uncomfortable, and have the walls painted a rather bilous shade of green? She attempted to sit up, but quickly regretted it. It felt as if her head was disconnected from the rest of her body.  
  
Suddenly a voice came from near her ear. "Ah, are we awake?"  
  
Deirdre looked up, startled. There was no one else in the room. She looked around to see if there was a doorway behind her or anything.  
  
"Don't be alarmed, you can't really see me. My name's Persephone, and I'm the main computer around here, or at least I have been for the past six months."  
  
Deirdre was curious despite herself. "Did the previous computer, like, have a breakdown or something?"  
  
If Deirdre didn't know better, she could have sworn that Persephone actually snorted. "No, she just decided to come out of her shell and get married." Deirdre waited for a further explanation, but none seemed to be forthcoming.  
  
Deirdre decided to get a few things straight. "So, like, why did you all sneak up behind us and knock us out? Do you treat all your guests like this?"  
  
Persephone seemed unfazed by this retort. "We had no idea how the infected wetware in your head would react if we took you to surgery while you were still conscious. It seemed better to sneak up on it and try to explain things to you later. I apologise if we upset you."  
  
Deirdre did look annoyed, but nevertheless said, "Well, if it gets that garbage out of our heads, I guess it's OK."  
  
Persephone went on. "Anyway, how do you feel today?"  
  
Deirdre moaned quietly. "I feel like someone used my head for bongos. Totally."  
  
The computer seemed puzzled. "Totally what?"  
  
Deirdre snickered. "Y'know, like, totally. I'm sure, no way."  
  
Persephone apparently decided to ignore this and move on. "Anyway, we need a little bit of information, and Ms. Emerson is being, according to Ishtar, 'her usual uncooperative self'. Since you came through your surgery with flying colours, I thought I would ask you for some of the information I need."  
  
A thought crossed Deirdre's mind. "So, what exactly did they find in me, anyway?"  
  
There was a pause. "Perhaps I had better wait and let Ishtar tell you exactly what they did."  
  
This didn't make Deirdre feel any better. "What, did something go wrong?"  
  
Persephone was quick to respond. "No, no. As a matter of fact, you helped us more than you'd think. Do you know that you were born with an organic computer in your brain?"  
  
Deirdre smiled. "Why do you think I'm one of the best TC's in the 3WA? It was, like, the reason they scouted me."  
  
"Well anyway, your brain decided to provide signposts of a sort, dictating to Ish exactly what had to be done. As a result, there are almost no complications."  
  
"Most bodacious."  
  
Persephone sounded slightly annoyed. "Are you doing that deliberately?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Anyway, I was wondering if you could see your way to answering a few questions?"  
  
Deirdre shrugged. If the questions got too personal or dangerous, she could refuse to answer, after all. "Go ahead."  
  
"Name?"  
  
"Deirdre Voxx."  
  
"Date of birth?"  
  
"December 14, 2114."  
  
"Place?"  
  
Deirdre sighed. This was dull. "Encino, California, USA, Earth."  
  
"Universe?"  
  
"Like, what?"  
  
"Aren't you familiar with the concept? Your ship did have a Burroughs/Libby device..."  
  
Deirdre continued to look puzzled. "It's Kei and Yuri's ship. I've got no idea what you're talking about."  
  
Persephone attempted to explain. "There are many, many different universes out there, all accessible by modes of rotation and translation. We identify most of them through the first person to walk on the moon. In the universe you're in now, it was Leslie LaCroix, an employee of Harriman Enterprises. Who was it in your universe?"  
  
"Different people walked on the moon in different universes?"  
  
"Most of the major nexus universes are similar to each other until about 1939, but then begin to diverge wildly."  
  
"Oh. Well, it was 1975, Colonel Greg Sandborn. It was a big military thing, y'know?"  
  
"Got it. That places you in Universe 16..."  
  
The door opened, and Ishtar stepped in, with Cory just behind. Cory was on crutches, and looked rather pale, but was still able to move. That didn't last, however, as Ishtar led her over to the bed next to Deirdre's.  
  
"I thought you could use some company. Being trapped in a small room with Miss Emerson is an experience I want to share with as many people as possible." Ishtar smiled slightly at the annoyed look that passed over Cory's face.  
  
Deirdre, however, had other things on her mind. "When I asked exactly what was taken out of my head and how it was done, the computer gave me the run-around and told me to ask you. Therefore, I ask you. What did you do to us?"  
  
Persephone was shocked. "What happened to the weird speech patterns?"  
  
Deirdre would have glared, if she'd known which direction to point it in. "This is serious. When I'm being serious, I talk seriously. When I relax, I talk in my normal speech patterns."  
  
Persephone still seemed unconvinced. "Those were _normal_?"  
  
"_If_ I could just interrupt for a moment," Ishtar said, breaking into their conversation neatly, "I can explain everything now. I wanted to get you two together so that I wouldn't have to go through this twice."  
  
Deirdre tensed at that. "Wait a minute. Where's Shasti?"  
  
Ishtar sighed. "That's part of what I want to talk to you about. She _should_ be just fine," Ishtar quickly said, noting the look of agony that passed over Deirdre and Cory's faces, "but her recovery will take much longer. A month at least."  
  
"WHAT?!" Cory was stunned.  
  
"Let me take this one at a time. For one thing, both of you have been unconscious for nearly a week." She paused and let that sink in. "Kei and Yuri were released after only a couple of days. The device in their brains was simple and crude. Since they tell me that it was implanted in all of their classmates, it was probably put there on their graduation, which means it was not very state of the art. They've been to see you every day, though they're not here at the moment."  
  
Cory was curious. "Do you know where they are?"  
  
Ishtar smiled. "Kei said something about letting the city know that the Lovely Angels have arrived and are taking prisoners."  
  
Now Cory smiled. "Getting laid, in other words."  
  
"Probably." Her look turned serious. "You two were infected more recently, so your surgery was harder. Deirdre, we got a lot of assistance from your computer brain, which could analyse the devices within it. Why in God's name didn't you use it before?"  
  
Deirdre shifted uncomfortably. "Jim told me not to. I was confused, not thinking straight. They kept my mind busy being enraged at Shasti, so that I couldn't see what they were actually doing."  
  
Ishtar rested a hand on Deirdre's shoulder. "It's all right. From what we could tell, there are virtually no malevolent impulses in you at all now, except towards 3WA, understandably, and those are tempered." She paused, frowning. "There is one thing you might be able to help me with. Your computer mind -- "  
  
Deirdre stopped her. "If my computer mind did this, why can't I remember any of it? We're not completely separate, you know."  
  
"You were kept in what we call a Lethe field. It keeps your mind from remembering most of the pain. The next time you access your computer mind - please don't do it now, it taxes you too much - you should recall all of this. What I was saying is that it noticed that a part of the infected wetware had been removed."  
  
Deirdre frowned. "Did it extrapolate?"  
  
"It guessed that it would correspond to some sort of controlling device, preventing you from doing what you did, which was accessing your computer mind." Ishtar looked at Deirdre closely. "Someone else has been messing with your head. You should thank them, whoever they were. If that component had been inside your brain, you would have had killed Shasti with no problems whatsoever."  
  
Deirdre shuddered. "I hate the thought of people messing with my mind so much."  
  
"There were also a large number of wetware poisons, most of them meant to ensure that once you had completed your mission, you would never have survived. These were considerably more advanced than Kei or Yuri's, so it took much longer to remove them. By the way, neither of you have any implants whatsoever anymore."  
  
Cory yelped. "WHAT? How are we going to survive?"  
  
Ishtar attempted to soothe. "Cory, you certainly don't need them here. Persephone is large enough to handle any sort of data uplink you might have needed. Personally, I recommend reading. Taking in the information you want through the eyes is much more satisfying, if a little slower." Cory grumbled, but said nothing.  
  
"All of your wetware was infected. _All_ of it. And we don't have the skills necessary to replace it here. We've never needed to; cybertechnology never took hold here as it did in your universe. We opted to search for the secret to immortality instead."  
  
Deirdre was just beginning to realise how advanced these people really were. "Immortality?"  
  
Ishtar smiled. "That's something that can be saved for another time. Cory, they must not have had much time to do anything major to you in that medical exam you got. There was just one thing they did. They planted a fission bomb in your head."  
  
For once, Cory was speechless. Ishtar went on. "It was set to go off if anyone tried to remove it. I can't think of any reason why it would have been implanted in you. Your death wouldn't have set it off, only a deliberate attempt to remove it by outside parties. Jimmy was apparently a sadist as well."  
  
Cory was beginning to shake. Ishtar tried to relax her. "Don't worry, Cory. Remember, we've got a few millennia on your universe. Your surgery was conducted while you lay in a low-level stasis field. The bomb was removed without it even realising, and then destroyed."  
  
While Cory continued to shudder, Deirdre was beginning to put a few facts together. "Wait, you said that we had all of our computer implants removed. What about Shasti? She's a bioroid. She's got so many implants in her, she can't survive without them."  
  
Ishtar sighed. This was the difficult bit. "No, she could not. I couldn't figure out a way to remove the infected components without killing her. There were many, most of them installed at her creation, and most of them tied to her nervous system. Removing them would not only have meant death, but an agonisingly painful one."  
  
Cory was pale now. "What did you decide to do? You told us she was fine."  
  
Ishtar went on. "Despite Shasti being a bioroid, there are also several organic components to her, and those were not infected. We took a cell sample, and began to construct -- "  
  
"A clone," Deirdre finished. "You're making a clone of Shasti, and will put her mind in that body."  
  
Ishtar nodded. "It's been done before. And I don't just mean with you. We've -- "  
  
"Did Shasti approve this?" Cory's voice had dropped a few degrees.  
  
"Of course she did," Ishtar replied. "She may not have been completely conscious, but her answer was certain enough."  
  
"What was her answer? In exact words," asked Deirdre.  
  
Ishtar frowned. "She said that she wanted to be human. We took that to mean that she approved of the cloning..." Ishtar trailed off as she saw both Deirdre and Cory's reactions.  
  
Cory spoke up first. "You take a woman who has always been unsure of her identity, drop her ultimate dream in her lap, and then you wonder if she'll take it? God, of _course_ she would have said yes! Why didn't you ask any of us to be there when this occurred?"  
  
Ishtar shrugged. "It was her body, and therefore her decision."  
  
Deirdre shook her head. "She didn't think it through. All she saw was that she could finally become a complete human being. I've told her that she's human in all the ways that count, but she never really believed me. This is going to backfire on you."  
  
Ishtar thought for a few moments. "There's nothing we can do in any case. This was the only option available if Shasti wanted to live."  
  
"Oh, I'm not saying it wasn't necessary. And don't think I'm ungrateful for saving her life, because I'm not. I'm just saying that when she wakes up, Shasti will realise what it _truly_ means to be completely human. And I don't think she's ready for it." Cory was nodding her agreement.  
  
Once again, silence pervaded the room for a few moments. Then Ishtar said, "In that case, I apologise to you. Would you mind very much if we asked you to be there when she wakes up?"  
  
Cory grinned. "How were you planning on keeping us away?"  
  
"Well, I'll leave you two to rest. You probably won't be sleeping much just now, as you've just woken up after nearly a week. But you are still weak, and you should stay in bed until you feel better."  
  
Ishtar smiled at the two of them again, and left the room. Deirdre sat back.  
  
"Well, this was certainly surprising. Cory, what did she mean when she said that they were a couple of millennia ahead of our universe?"  
  
Cory coughed. "Um...well, this is the 47th century. More or less, their calendars are so weird that I can't convert it properly."  
  
Deirdre's eyes widened. "OK, I want a few answers. How do the three of you know these advanced people from another universe?"  
  
Cory laughed. "I'm actually an alien, sent by my race on a secret mission to destroy the Quagaars of Nexus III."  
  
They both laughed, then Cory went on. "Seriously, it's a long story. Do you feel up to it?"  
  
"It's not as if we're going anywhere," Deirdre replied.  
  
"Well, I had been on a mission with the Angels once before, to Kalevala. Unfortunately, that one ended in a PR disaster, so my entire story was censored. I didn't think I'd hear from the 3WA again, especially considering the bitching out I gave them the last time. I dunno, maybe that was what convinced them to call my editors again..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Cory groaned as she came back into consciousness, hearing her screen beeping incessantly at her. *Why can't they ever call me when I'm conscious?* she thought. "WHAT?"  
  
Her editor appeared on the screen, unruffled by her outburst. "Hi, Cory. You're looking radiant today."  
  
Cory growled. She got up off the couch where she had apparently passed out the night before, and tried to block the mess from her boss' view. "And what news do you have for me today? Don't tell me, you've discovered that I'm actually the missing Princess?"  
  
He actually had the temerity to laugh. "No, Cory. An assignment for you, one that will hopefully go a little better than your last major job."  
  
"If you recall," Cory interrupted, "it was the 3WA who censored that story. It was not my fault."  
  
"Funny you should use that phrase," he replied. "I've just gotten another call from the 3WA. They said that despite your, and I quote, 'major attitude problems', your report was one of the best they'd seen that tried to capture the Angels in a favourable light. And after the PR disaster on Leifker IV, they need more help than ever."  
  
Cory attempted to twist her mind around what her editor was saying. "The 3WA wants me to write another story on the Angels? After all of the problems I had with the _last_ one? Are they out of their friggin' minds?"  
  
"Actually, Cory, you weren't their first choice. However, both Kei and Yuri made it very clear that, and I quote once again, 'if they were going to drag around some nosy reporter whose job it was to drag their names through the mud, it might as well be Cory.' You seem to have made quite an impression on them, Cory.  
  
Cory flushed, not sure if the Angels' statement was a compliment or not. "What would this story involve?"  
  
"There's rumours of a financial take-over on a space station in the Centauri solar system. The 3WA has been hired to make sure that this new entry into the business world doesn't have any ulterior motives. The Central Computer assigned the Lovely Angels to the task."  
  
"And I'm supposed to find this fascin--"  
  
Cory stopped and thought for a long moment. Then she turned back to the screen and said, "OK, I'll go. When do I leave?"  
  
Her editor seemed surprised. "Um, I've got your tickets right here. You'll meet the Angels at Pacifica and go with them to the station."  
  
"Fine," Cory responded. She seemed to have her mind on something else. "I'll get ready, then."  
  
Her editor smiled. "Good luck this time, Cory."  
  
"Uh-huh." Cory cut the transmission.  
  
Her brain was working overtime as she got dressed. A financial take-over. All that was needed was to make sure that the newcomers were on the up and up. First of all, why would the 3WA be called in?  
  
And second, why would the Central Computer pick the Lovely Angels for such a mission?  
  
***  
  
Cory stood in the hangar, waiting for the Angels to arrive after their briefing. She wasn't sure whether she was looking forward to this. She'd had a lot of fun on the last mission, but looking back on it she realised that it wasn't fun at the time -- only in hindsight. At the time she was scared out of her wits, distrustful of the two psychotic maniacs with her, and generally flailing through the situation out of control.  
  
She decided not to worry about it. If the assignment _does_ turn out to be as dull as it sounds, then maybe I can even give them a good write up.  
  
Kei and Yuri came towards her. They didn't seem to have changed one bit, except for the fact that the bikinis have shrunk _once again_. Cory thanked God that she hadn't accepted their parting gift of a 3WA trouble consultant's uniform; trying to imagine her body in one of those things caused great pain.  
  
"Hey, Cory, ready for more action, excitement and thrills?" Yuri said, hugging her.  
  
Kei grinned. "Then you're not going to find it here. In order to protect our miserable reputation, we've been assigned to the dullest mission ever recorded." For some reason, Yuri winked at her.  
  
Cory frowned. "Yeah, I wanted to ask you guys about that..."  
  
Kei grabbed her and started dragging her towards the Angel. "First things first. It's going to be a two-day journey, so we want to make sure to start it off right. We are getting as _drunk_ as we possibly can. Then you can interview us. I think it'll be a hoot, don't you?"  
  
Cory looked back at Yuri, who merely grinned and held up a bottle. "It's OK, Mughi can drive."  
  
Cory moaned. To think I was excited about this...  
  
***  
  
After take-off, they went back to the 'living area' of the Lovely Angel and cracked open a few beers. Cory was still attempting to stop them and try and get down to business. "I was wondering if we could talk about this case you're on..."  
  
Kei looked up at Yuri. "We're away?"  
  
"Yup," Yuri replied, laying down on a bed. "And, as ordered, we're under radio silence."  
  
Kei turned to Cory. "See, this mission is a biiiiiig secret." Kei seemed to believe that she was already drunk, though she hadn't even touched a drop yet. "We have to sneak in there, find out what we can, and sneak out again."  
  
Cory decided to cut to the chase. "And has it occurred to you that it's a little odd to assign the two of you to this kind of mission?"  
  
Kei and Yuri both stopped and looked at her, their eyes wide. Cory thought they looked like an anime. "Cory! Are you suggesting that this is a simple mission that could just as easily have been handled by one of the economic trouble consultants?" Yuri gasped.  
  
Kei came in, sounding just as amazed. "And you can't possibly mean that this is the sort of case that 3WA shouldn't even be getting into, and that sending its top team of trouble consultants in seems like overkill?"  
  
Yuri looked at Kei. "You don't think that they're expecting some major kind of trouble, but they can't tell anyone about it, so they're sending us in hoping that when things blow up we'll be able to put a lid on the situation?"  
  
Kei threw her hands up into the air. "Of _course_! It all makes sense now! Oh, thank you, Cory, for explaining this all for us! I'm afraid we're just bimbos who like to shoot big guns, so this sort of thing would never have occurred to us."  
  
The pair looked at Cory, who watched them through narrowed eyes. She raised her hands and began to clap, slowly and deliberately. "Bravo. Now that you've made fun of me, perhaps you can tell me what you really think about this case."  
  
Suddenly the girls smirked and dropped all pretence of getting drunk. "It's a set-up, obviously," Kei began. "Cory, we've been in the 3WA for _years_, and these sorts of things happen. It's probably some big internal political thing that the 3WA wants to keep hushed up."  
  
Cory began to get annoyed. "And you two condone that sort of thing?"  
  
Yuri shrugged. "What can we do about it? It's not as if we'll ever get promoted, and I doubt we'd accept one if we got it. We don't run 3WA, Cory, despite what the tabloids say. We get our orders, and we go do it."  
  
Kei frowned. "Getting back to the case, what's really got me thinking is not the fact that we were assigned to it, but that they chose this case as the time to try and do another story on us. If this really is a hushed-up political thing, why assign you? Unless they plan to censor your story again, and I think you gave them a pretty good idea last time of what would happen if they tried that."  
  
Cory smiled; she'd mentioned hot branding irons. "That occurred to me too. Maybe it is all on the up-and-up; after all, if they assign you to a nice and easy case, then there's a chance that nothing will go wrong for a change." Cory noticed the Angels glare at her. "I mean..."  
  
Yuri smiled weakly. "We know what you mean, Cory. Believe me, we're not unaware of our reputation. It's just that most of it is false. That's the major reason why we insisted on you being the reporter to interview us."  
  
Kei nodded. "We trust you, Cory. You've seen us at our best and at our worst, and you know firsthand how things can snowball out of control on a mission. _You_ won't be interviewing the Dirty Pair." Kei shuddered as she said those two words. Cory knew how deeply they despised their nickname.  
  
Cory smiled. "That's good to hear. But from what you've been telling me, you don't think this is a 'reporter' assignment?"  
  
Yuri frowned. "No, I don't. From the briefing we got, this assignment sounds dull as dirt. Nobody wants to read an article about the Lovely Angels watching over some financiers. There's something else behind this, and I'm not sure what it is..."  
  
As Mughi flew the ship towards its eventual destination, the three occupants sat quietly, lost in their own thoughts. Each of them reviewed what they'd been told about the case, and each of them came to the same conclusion: something doesn't add up.  
  
***  
  
"In and out, no questions asked, and -- "  
  
" -- no complications. Right. This'll be easy -- "  
  
" -- believe me. Yeah, right. You know how much is -- "  
  
" -- riding on this, yeah. It's not as if we're -- "  
  
" -- pirates anymore. Well, we might as well be, if -- "  
  
" -- something goes wrong. But nothing will."  
  
***  
  
The Lovely Angel came up on the station from around the back side of the planet, trying to keep a low profile. Yuri was explaining what the plan was.  
  
"The company we're looking at is Lawson Enterprises. They're a new business firm, mostly cyberware but they're trying to expand into real estate. This space station could be the first step for them. As for the company itself, the owner is one of those geek billionaires you hear so much about. Rumour is, though, that he isn't the brains behind the outfit, that there's a team behind his ear telling him what to do. Unfortunately, that's pretty much all the rumour mill can say. Their business deals tend to be kept _very_ secret. Even 3WA couldn't give us much help."  
  
"Since we don't really know anything much, Cory, you're going to be doing a little more than just tagging along this time. Your instincts for smelling out lies are better than ours. So you will basically be yourself, arriving on the station to interview the big honchos, and generally making a big pain of yourself. Kei will be your photographer, and also will take over in case anything happens to go wrong. Meanwhile, I'll be doing my best to hack into their systems and finding out if they have any sort of ulterior motive."  
  
Kei growled. "Why is it these plans always turn out the same? I stand around and look tough while you go hacking."  
  
Yuri grinned. "I can't help it, Kei. I just can't look like an evil psychotic bitch as much as you." She then grinned cutely.  
  
Cory smacked her head. She'd forgotten about this. Kei and Yuri were the best of friends, but for some reason they couldn't relate to each other except through bickering. It might have been fun for them, but it gave Cory a headache.  
  
"Do we _have_ to do this? Look, Yuri's plan is fine, and no Kei, you're not a bitch. Now let's get out of here!" Cory was also annoyed by the fact that, even though she'd come along simply to write a story, she was once again being dragged into the action.  
  
Kei grumbled, but subsided. Yuri kept grinning, feeling she'd won their little debate. "Let's go, then. I'll head out first. I'll contact you when I've found something." Yuri finished putting on her space suit, and quickly went out to the airlock. After a few seconds, Kei and Cory could see her small form jetting towards the station.  
  
Kei turned to Cory. "Well, Miss nosy reporter, ready to be at your most obnoxious?"  
  
Cory grinned. Alright, perhaps this assignment wouldn't be so bad after all.  
  
***  
  
Yuri huddled in an alcove near the outside of the station, totally unremarkable in all respects except that most of the power and computer lines ran through here, providing an enterprising young hacker with a perfect running start. Judging from the open panels and wires laying around, Yuri thought, I'm not the first one who's been here. Hopefully no one else will pop in while I'm here.  
  
She quickly interfaced with the computer, then got as much information as she could on Lawson Enterprises. Nothing surprised her, it was pretty much what they told her at 3WA. Admittedly, their reason for this purchase seemed rather arbitrary. It wasn't as if the station had any tactical value, it was just a hunk of metal -- albeit a _rich_ hunk of metal.  
  
Yuri decided to take a look at the company that currently owned the station, Mizuno Industries. Yuri hadn't needed to be briefed on them. The owner had turned a minor manufacturing plant into one of the fastest growing contractors in the galaxy. She was in the top five of Fortune 500, and was voted the most eligible single in Business Daily recently.  
  
That was about as far as the rumour went, though. Yuri felt herself growing frustrated. She'd really love it if there had been one whiff of scandal. The problem was that the owners of the two companies were relentlessly dull. They apparently lived their work. Dammit, what ever happened to old-fashioned corporate piracy?  
  
Abandoning this line for a moment, Yuri began to do a background check on the recent entries onto the space station. This took a lot longer, even for someone of Yuri's skills.  
  
Bingo.  
  
Eleven people had recently come on board, all separately. They all belonged to an organisation that called itself the Bureaucratic Watchdog Office. Calling up their history, Yuri found that they attempted to 'keep businesses honest and on the straight and narrow'. What this translated to was harassment. They'd already been issued with orders to cease harassing several companies, including, Yuri was pleased to note, Lawson Enterprises _and_ Mizuno Industries.  
  
Now, either these guys are just loonies holding a grudge, in which case it's a good thing we're here, or there really _is_ something fishy in this deal...in which case it's a good thing we're here.  
  
Grinning, Yuri unplugged herself and went to contact Kei and Cory.  
  
***  
  
Kei was in a foul mood as they left the main promenade. In her eyes, the whole interview with Lawson had been useless. The man was a mensch who hemmed and hawed about 'preparing for the future of industry' and then cut out.  
  
Cory, on the other hand, was bubbly about the whole thing. "Did you see the way he conducted that interview? I can't believe he hopes to get away with this. He might as well have just slapped a sign on himself saying, 'Please Investigate Further!'"  
  
"But we didn't get anywhere!"  
  
Cory laughed. "I didn't expect to. Kei, businessmen don't act nervous. They get to the top of their profession by being able to talk to a board of directors without flinching. The fact that he is obviously nervous is a definite sign that there is something here. And that is what we were supposed to be looking for."  
  
Kei grumbled some more, looking out over the promenade. "And now we get to depend on Yuri to save the day again. I can do that sort of thing too, y'know. It's just some of us don't think that we look cool with a computer plug in our neck all the time. Cory, you agree that I'm not just the brawn of this team, right?"  
  
There was no response, which puzzled Kei. She turned. "Cory?"  
  
The promenade was filled with people, but none of them looked remotely like Cory. Now, if this had been Yuri, or if the situation had been reversed, Kei would not have worried. After all, much as they didn't like to admit it, the two of them were flighty enough to run off after some guy or some bargain at a moment's notice.  
  
Cory was not that type, however. She would have told Kei if she had seen someone or run off somewhere. Therefore, Kei began to suspect that she had been taken.  
  
She widened the area of her search, giving up any pretext of looking incognito. She was wearing her uniform, after all. If these people didn't know enough to not hinder a 3WA officer in the course of her investigations, then they got whatever was coming to them. She took the search in stages at first, but soon gave up when she realised that Cory was nowhere in sight.  
  
*I knew there was more to this case than we thought. _Dammit_! I need to get in touch with Yuri.*  
  
She started to head out of the promenade, but was interrupted by a cry from a level above. She looked up, and saw two identical young redheads, in bodies that made Kei's look like Moms Mabley, glaring at her over the railing. They ran down the escalator towards her.  
  
*Who have we offended this time? Let me guess, we destroyed their lives, killed their parents, shot their dog and stole their bible.* Kei felt her mood getting even fouler.  
  
The twins rushed up and began yammering at her, alternating back and forth in an incredibly annoying fashion.  
  
"Aunty Libby, what are you -- "  
  
" -- doing here? Did Lazarus send you? If he -- "  
  
" -- thinks he can't trust us, why did he bother -- "  
  
" -- sending us on the mission in the first place?"  
  
"Aaagh, STOP!" Kei shouted, placing her hands over her ears. The twins looked at her, appearing to be shocked. Something in their manner of speech seemed strangely familiar to Kei. *Where have I heard that before?* she thought.  
  
The twins stared at her curiously. "Aunty Libby?"  
  
"Don't call me Aunty!" Kei shouted. "And it's Kei! Special Trouble Consultant, 3WA!" Maybe throwing around her title would get some respect. Or would get them to run away screaming, which served just as well.  
  
The twins' eyes seemed to bug out even further, and they looked at each other.  
  
"Well, we should have expected this, after what -- "  
  
" -- Commodore Hilda told us about World as Myth, but I -- "  
  
" -- didn't think we'd end up in one right -- "  
  
" -- away, especially not one with -- "  
  
" -- the Dirty Pair!"  
  
Kei had not been having a good day, and this finally made her snap. "LOVELY ANGELS!" she shouted.  
  
The twins seemed unimpressed by her outburst. "Wow, she's just like the real thing."  
  
"Do you suppose she's the anime or manga version?"  
  
"Stop it! Stop talking about me as if you know me!" Kei was beginning to feel a little out of her depth.  
  
The two twins finally seemed to understand how mad Kei was, as well as the crowd they were beginning to attract. The one on the left spoke up.  
  
"Miss Kei, we should probably explain things. Is there somewhere we can talk?"  
  
"I don't have time to chat with two twin terrors! I've just had Cory disappear under my nose and -- "  
  
"Manga version," both girls said. In unison.  
  
Kei realised that she had advanced to that state of beyond mad. She suddenly began to feel very calm. She turned away from the twins and began to walk down the promenade. *The first step is to find Yuri, and then we can find this Lawson guy and shake him down. Then...*  
  
The twins were following her. She rounded on them. "WHAAAT?!"  
  
The one on the right answered this time. "By any chance, was Cory investigating a group called the Bureaucratic Watchdog Office?"  
  
"What?" That came from behind Kei. She turned, and saw Yuri there, a frown on her face. "How much do you know about them?"  
  
"Look, for God's sake, can we get off the promenade?" Kei said.  
  
The twins nodded. "We have a safe place to talk, if you'll trust us."  
  
Kei and Yuri looked at each other and shrugged. Even if it was a trap, there wasn't a cell built that could hold the Lovely Angels. They began to follow the twins towards the hangar.  
  
***  
  
"I don't fucking believe this!"  
  
Laz and Lor had just explained who they were, if not exactly what they were doing. Yuri was just as lost, but Kei now knew why they had seemed so familiar.  
  
"I have to admit, you two have them down. You look like them, you sound like them..."   
  
Lor smiled. "We could say the same of you."  
  
Yuri was just getting more confused. "Kei, what are you talking about?"  
  
Kei turned to Yuri and grinned. "This shows what happens when all you read are textbooks. These two are doing an excellent imitations of those twins from the Heinlein books, Laz and Lor."  
  
Laz and Lor took this opportunity to give each other dry looks."  
  
"It's good to know that we can successfully -- "  
  
" -- impersonate ourselves. Now, if we ever need -- "  
  
" -- a good disguise, we can always dress up -- "  
  
" -- like ourselves."  
  
Kei shivered. "Actually, it's more than an excellent imitation. How do you two _do_ that?"  
  
Laz sighed. Kei, please understand. We _are_ Lapis Lazuli and Lorelei Lee Long, and we are not from this universe. We come from another universe, in fact one where the two of you are fictional characters, in both anime and manga form. In fact the Dir -- "  
  
" -- _Lovely Angels_ has always been one of our favourites." Lor interrupted just in time.  
  
Kei began to feel her headache coming back. "You mean all that shit about World as Myth is _true_? How am I supposed to believe you? Can you provide me with any proof?"  
  
Laz and Lor looked at each other. "Well, we could use the widget to take them back home -- "  
  
" -- but we need to find out what happened here first."  
  
"I suppose we could drag out our old photo albums..."  
  
While the twins debated, Yuri sidled over towards Kei. "This is getting totally ridiculous. Anyway, why didn't I read these books?"  
  
"You said something about them being too sexist and repulsive."  
  
"Oh. Wait, this wasn't the guy who wrote the book that had the girl expounding on the joy of breasts for two pages, was it?"  
  
"That's the one. What are you complaining about? We talk about our breasts all the time."  
  
"It's not the same thing!"  
  
Lor interrupted them. "Wait, weren't we supposed to be discussing something else?"  
  
Kei and Yuri both flushed, having completely forgotten about Cory temporarily. "Right. You two mentioned the Bureaucratic Watchdog Office," Yuri said. "First of all, what makes you think they're responsible for Cory's kidnapping, and secondly, how do you know they're even on the station? It took someone with my expert hacking skills to get that information. I can't see either of you doing this, you don't even have any cyberjacks."  
  
Laz and Lor shuddered briefly. "I had forgotten how mechanised everyone had become in this universe," Laz finally said. "Look, the reason we know is that we have quite a few little tricks that you two don't. We've been researching this case for almost a year now. Believe me when I say that Lawson and Mizuno's companies are not the problem here, though they are the cause. If there is any sign of terrorist activity, you can bet it'll be the Bureaucratic Watchdog Office, who are _much_ more than they seem."  
  
"They're a bunch of harassing dickheads who barely manage to keep inside the law," Yuri offered.  
  
"That's why she said much more," Lor added darkly. "This is a key nexus point in history."  
  
"Lor," Laz muttered dangerously. "We can't just..."  
  
"Why not? It might help them believe us. Besides, if they've already resorted to kidnapping _journalists_, it's a sign that things are moving much faster than we thought."  
  
Laz thought for a moment, then nodded.  
  
Lor continued. "This is a key nexus point in history. This is where the Bureaucratic Watchdog Office goes from being a minor blight on the face of businesses to a major terrorist organisation. The space station is due to explode in seventy-two hours. The resulting repercussions, especially considering that Ms. Mizuno is on board, will result in businesses tightening their security and hiring more muscle, including the 3WA. The BWO gets more and more desperate, realising that they are fighting a losing battle."  
  
Lor paused. "This goes on for a few years, and involves many more participants. In the end, billions of innocents are killed."  
  
Kei and Yuri had paled. Somehow, the fact that the twins had explained the point clearly and seriously, without the usual back and forth between them, made the speech all the more chilling. Kei finally managed to snap herself out of her fugue state.  
  
"All right, suppose we do decide to believe you. My question is, are you here to stop it?"  
  
Yuri turned. "What?"  
  
"You should really try to read those books, Kei. Do-gooders they may try to be, but not always." She turned back to the twins. "Are you here to try to prevent this, or are you here just to observe?"  
  
Lor smiled. "We wouldn't have researched this group for a year if we were just going to watch them destroy everything. The Circle is still a fairly young organisation. This is our first attempt to actually change history, to try to improve things. Lazarus wanted to try to ensure that Nehemiah Scudder had never been born, but we wanted to start with something unconnected to our own universe. This seemed like a good start."  
  
Laz grinned. "And they trusted _us_ with the assignment. Our first real mission where we're not pirates. That's why fixing this is important to us."  
  
Kei decided to try and bring things back to something resembling a point. "So how do we go about rescuing Cory? And how do we stop these guys?"  
  
Laz grinned. "I said that they _eventually_ became a dangerous terrorist organisation. At the moment, they're just a pissed-off activist group. Trust me, this rescue will be one of the easiest we've ever done..."  
  
***  
  
Philip was both bored and nervous, not the best combination, especially when you're guarding a prisoner. Basically what this amounted to was locking her in a stateroom and putting Philip outside the door. There really wasn't anything for him to do except watch for hidden dangers. However, keeping an eye out for hidden dangers had left him a nervous wreck. Every time he heard a noise, he spun around, his gun in his trembling hands.  
  
Thus, when a beautiful young woman appeared in front of him, he nearly screamed. She just grinned cutely, though. Taking a closer look, he went from scared and panicky to hormone overdrive. *There is no way that this girl...could she? Is she a trap to stop me? How do I react? Oh God, she's winking at me!*  
  
Philip's brain being thus involved, it took him a while to realise that the woman was speaking to him.  
  
"Excuse me, sir, can you help me?"  
  
He quickly tried to think of a suave, sophisticated answer. "Um, I...sure, um...what?"  
  
This didn't seem to bother him in the least. "You see, my friend is in that room that you're guarding, and I'm trying to figure out how to rescue her." She came a little closer, putting her body right up against his. "But you see, the guard is a very clever and handsome man. I just couldn't bring myself to do anything to him. Do you have any ideas on what I could do?"  
  
By now, Philip's brain had locked up. He found himself desperately trying to think of a way to help this girl. "Well...if the man is as handsome as you say he is, why not try seducing him?" There, that was a suave, sophisticated response. It was sure to impress her.  
  
That was when he heard a voice behind him. "Idiot. You fail to grasp Tai Kwon Leep. Boot to the head." Then he felt a sharp pain, and slumped to the ground.  
  
Yuri leaned over him. "Oh, I'm sorry. I decided to try distracting him while my partner sneaks in and disables him. But thank you very much, I'm sure you're a very sweet man."  
  
Kei was searching him for keys, with no luck. "Yuri, save the flirting with the enemy for when they're conscious." She gave up, and simply blasted the door with her gun.  
  
They left soon after, slightly hampered by the fact that Cory, who had overheard the entire conversation, was laughing so hard she could barely move.  
  
***  
  
Arriving back at the Dora, Cory had now been brought up to date. Like Yuri, she hadn't read Heinlein either, so Kei was having even more difficulty explaining who Laz and Lor were. It didn't help that Kei was having difficulty believing it herself.  
  
The five of them were now sitting around a table discussing what to do next.  
  
Kei turned to Laz. "I don't suppose the history you researched has a reference to Cory being kidnapped?"  
  
Laz frowned. "It doesn't mention you at all, which I find very odd. If you two were here, you should have been mentioned. After all, trouble seems to follow you around."  
  
Noticing the twin glares coming from the agents, Lor cut in. "However, it doesn't mean that it didn't happen. There wasn't a lot of information we could get. We know that in about two days, the BWO plants a bomb on board the station. It explodes, killing thousands, including Lawson and Mizuno. What we need to do is find out why they bothered to do it. A bomb seems rather strong stuff. This group has up until now stuck to harassment."  
  
Yuri frowned. "Are we sure that Lawson and Mizuno are innocent? Maybe the BWO knows something that we don't."  
  
Cory was looking over the info Yuri gathered. "Don't hold your breath. I've heard my friends at _High Sense_ complaining about Ms. Mizuno, who apparently has the dullest life this side of a nunnery. And from what I see here, Lawson's the same. Squeaky clean, desperately dull. No, there's got to be something else..."  
  
Dora chose that moment to break in. She sounded rather panicked. "Um, hey kids, remember that explosion that's supposed to happen in two days time?"  
  
Yuri and Cory looked startled. "It's the AI for this ship," Kei explained.  
  
"Yes, Dora, what about it?" Laz and Lor didn't like to see Dora nervous.  
  
"It's moved up to about two minutes from now."  
  
This got everyone's attention. "WHAT?!"  
  
"I was watching the probability charts, and they suddenly _jumped_. I don't know why, but we have to get out of here."  
  
"Wait!" Kei shouted. "We can't just leave! How do we stop them?"  
Laz turned sharply. "Our information may be better than yours, but not by much. We have about a minute now, and we don't know where they are. Lor, Dora, stand by to rotate."  
  
Yuri's eyes shot open. "Mughi! Oh God, we've got to go get him!"  
  
"There's no _time_!" Laz yelled. "Rotate!"  
  
"Rotating," Lor replied.  
  
And with that, they were suddenly elsewhere. Kei stared at the screen in shock.  
  
Lor spoke up. "Ten seconds."  
  
Laz said, "There's no way we can watch it. I don't know if that's a blessing or not."  
  
"Now."  
  
There was no sound or anything, but everyone knew. "The station has exploded. No ships were observed to leave in the few hours before. Even the BWO didn't survive."  
  
Lor put her head in her hands. "Great. Our first mission and we end up making things even worse. I don't want to explain this to Lazarus."  
  
"Fine, I'll explain it to Lazarus. _You_ can explain it to Hilda."  
  
Kei and Yuri said nothing, just staring into space. A tear was trickling down Yuri's cheek.  
  
Cory was out of her element again, as usual. She wondered if they could ever get back to their universe again. She wondered if all this wasn't just a crock of bull and they were still hidden somewhere in their own universe. She thought about all the people on that station that had died, and of Mughi, as the explosion must have taken out the Angel as well.  
  
*Well, I guess this isn't going to be just another puff piece,* she sighed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"...and so we ended up coming back to Boondock, which is where we met everyone."  
  
"Um...since I just saw Mughi when we got on the ship, I presume there's, like, a little more to this story?" Deirdre looked to be just as baffled as Cory had back then.  
  
Cory laughed. "We need to get more people in here to tell that part. After all, it didn't revolve around me. I talked to Kei, Yuri, Laz and Lor and got their stories of what happened, but only up till the explosion."  
  
Maureen came back in. "Time for you two to go to sleep. You've been talking for hours."  
  
Deirdre had one last request. "I want to see Shasti."  
  
Maureen frowned. "They've already started work. It's incredibly difficult, and I..."  
  
Deirdre repeated herself. "I want to see Shasti."  
  
Maureen sighed. "Alright. But tomorrow."  
  
Deirdre prepared to glare some more, then realised how tired she actually was. She didn't even think she could make it out of the bed.  
  
"Fine. Tomorrow."  
  
Turning out the light, Maureen waved to them. "Get a good night's sleep."  
  
***  
  
Yuri came out of her room, stretching and looking happier than she'd been in weeks. She went over to the room next door and knocked.  
  
"Rgnkmg," came the answer. Yuri decided that translated to "Come" in early morning Kei, and walked in. Kei was laying on the bed with her mouth wide open, snoring. If she had answered Yuri, it had been unconsciously.  
  
Yuri quickly closed her mouth, and also squeezed her nose shut. After a few moments, Kei shot up, gasping. Yuri giggled. "I _wish_ you wouldn't do that," Kei groaned.  
  
"Sorree," answered Yuri, extending the final syllable as she always did. "I just don't know of another reliable way to get you up."  
  
Kei grumbled some more, but her heart wasn't in it. "What's on the schedule for today?"  
  
"We're going to see Cory and Deirdre, they've just woken up."  
  
Kei sighed. "Of course, Shasti won't be up for a while yet."  
  
"There was no other way. They had to get her into a clone body or else she would have died."  
  
"I know, it's just...Shasti was a bioroid, and now she's going to be a clone. Deirdre's a clone. Things are getting too damn complex."  
  
Yuri frowned. "You mean you don't trust them? Don't think they're 'real' enough?"  
  
"I don't know. Deirdre seems fine now, but was controlling her that easy? Would they have been able to turn her against Shasti like that if she hadn't been a clone? And Shasti's head has already been screwed six ways from Sunday...who knows what this will do to her?"  
  
"Still, at least they're alive. Shasti has pledged that she won't go rogue again. I don't think she will, either."  
  
Kei turned, surprised. "You were the one who was so convinced that she was still the enemy."  
  
Yuri looked down. "And I was convinced that Clarisse was still my friend. Look where that got us."  
  
Kei got into the shower, trying to sort out her feelings on the subject. Coming back, she sat by Yuri and put her arms around her.  
  
"Cory was right. Jimmy killed Clarisse, before we even met her that day. All we did was kill her body, her spirit was gone. We can mourn her death as a friend, and we will. But we're not going to mourn that we killed her. We didn't."  
  
Yuri sighed. "I just don't know who to trust anymore. I mean, we always knew the 3WA was a little corrupt, but not to _this_ scale... what kind of organisation would create something like Jimmy? We trusted the Central Computer, it always cleared us from any wrongdoing. Can we believe that anymore?"  
  
"Yes," Kei answered roughly. "Because if we didn't, if we thought that all those missions, all those deaths were our fault, then we'd go insane. So I do believe it."  
  
Yuri shuddered, but nodded. "We need to relax. We couldn't even get anyone back to our beds last night."  
  
Kei laughed. "We're out of practice. Don't worry, that won't last." She got up and began to dress. "Besides, I understand Galahad was asking after you..."  
  
You could hear Yuri's yelling from three corridors away.  
  
***  
  
Cory and Deirdre both walked silently out of the hospital. They had just finished visiting Shasti, if you could call it a visit, and had found out what Ishtar had to do.  
  
"It's not as easy as I made it sound," she had said. "First of all, we couldn't normally do this. The human brain is just too complex and unpredictable. Shasti's brain, however, was designed to be compact and simple. Therefore, she will still have the same mind."  
  
Deirdre had interrupted her. "How can you do that? You said that all of her wetware had been corrupted. Wouldn't that include her brain?"  
  
"No. What we were worried about was her central nervous system. Most of the damage the viruses would have caused had happened there. The brain was about the only place we could be sure of saving. There weren't a lot of viruses there, because Shasti had to keep running. I imagine when you trained there were a lot of accidents?"  
  
Deirdre had nodded. There had been several missions where something had gone wrong, Shasti's mind had crashed, and they had barely been able to get out alive.  
  
"Well, don't blame her mind, and certainly don't blame her. The viruses were responsible. Quite frankly, I'm wondering exactly how many people were in on this. She must have had a few other doctors look at her. Why didn't they notice this?"  
  
That was what Deirdre was thinking about while she and Cory went back to their rooms. Why hadn't they? Shasti had been treated at off-world hospitals, and not all of them were 3WA. Were all the doctors plants? Or were they 'taken care of' afterwards? Deirdre's mind sifted through more and more paranoid responses. She didn't like the way she was thinking.  
  
These were, after all, the same people that had brought her back into existence as a clone. The only reason she was alive at all was to be an instrument of vengeance for Jimmy Daltrey. Now that that was no longer possible (thank God), what was the purpose of her existence? Did Deirdre Voxx have a right to live at all? *Maybe I should have stayed dead.*  
  
Deirdre was brought out of these depressing thoughts by thumping into Cory's back. "What's up?"  
  
Cory pointed. "I think we're being hijacked." She didn't seem scared, just annoyed.  
  
The corridor in front of them had vanished. In its place was a small door, with a picture of a snake eating its own tail.  
  
Deirdre looked at it curiously. "You know what that is?"  
  
Cory sighed. "Yes. And I suppose I should have guessed we'd be talking to them sooner or later. Come on."  
  
Deirdre noticed Cory's posture. "If you're not worried, then why are you so tense?"  
  
Cory snarled. "Lazarus."  
  
***  
  
As Deirdre entered, she found herself in a large white room, bordered by a podium with eight seats. Only three of those were currently occupied. One of the women who had greeted them the week before, Hilda, occupied one. Lazarus was in the second seat, and she could feel Cory's jaw clench from here. In the third was an older man, who looked very much like your stereotypical sage. Hilda introduced him as Jubal Harshaw.  
  
Hilda brought the meeting to order. "Thank you for being co-operative about coming here. I would like to have waited until Shasti was well enough to join us, but we may not have the time. We couldn't even call a full meeting of the Circle in this time, so consider this an 'emergency' meeting."  
  
Cory was curious. "I thought you always said that Time Corps operations -- I presume this is about some such thing -- always had plenty of time."  
  
Lazarus answered, being remarkably polite. "In most cases, that is true. Here, however, the time factor is hampered by the fact that the people we are watching are actively looking for us. Or rather, for you."  
  
All four of them felt a chill. "I thought the Central Computer was going to leave us alone," Kei said quietly.  
  
"Quite frankly, I have no idea whether to trust the Central Computer or not," Jubal said. "We've had all of our resources -- and I mean _all_ of them -- working on this problem for the past week. They have not been able to come up with any information on the Central Computer's motives."  
  
Lazarus spoke up again. "We're worrying them needlessly. Let's get to the point. We discovered that far from the world being curious about your disappearance, the Lovely Angels are alive and well there, though their assignments have been getting _noticeably_ more violent. The last one had casualties of several billion, taking out a star system. It would appear that someone has cloned the two of you as well."  
  
Kei and Yuri began to shake, and had to grab on to each other to stop. "_Billions_?" Yuri said in a tiny voice.  
  
Lazarus went on. "The source for most of this was one of the most popular talk shows on the vids. It's name is _Cory!_, and I'll let you guess who is supposed to be hosting it." A small whine emerged from Cory's throat.  
  
Hilda spoke last. "All of these discoveries pale in comparison to the final one, which is that the managing director of 3WA, following the death of a Mr. Goulet." She paused while Kei and Yuri gasped. "The director is named Jimmy Daltrey."  
  
All four of them immediately froze. Hilda went on. "The fact that he isn't even bothering to hide his existence using a false name makes me think that he just wants to draw us out. Well, it worked. The number one priority of the Circle is now to stop Jimmy Daltrey, by any means necessary."  
  
Kei, Yuri, Cory, and Deirdre looked at each other, their eyes wide. *He didn't die after all* was what each of them were thinking.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile, a few universes away...  
  
Bast went through the seemingly unending paperwork on his desk. As humanity had advanced through the stars, so had the forms that needed to be filled out. And as his boss was above such things, it was up to him to make sure everything was above board, or at least as above board as things got in the 3WA.  
  
To most people, Bast would have a truly enviable job. He was executive assistant to the head of 3WA, Jimmy Daltrey, a man who had personally directed the rise of the agency to a major player in the security of the galaxies. Bast, having his ear, would be what the civil service called a 'high flyer', earmarked for the top.  
  
Quite frankly, however, Bast would have dearly loved to leave the 3WA and go be a hermit on some island now. He had, at one point, had some loyalty to the agency. Years of finding out what it really took to run an organisation the size of the Worlds Welfare Work Association, and the amount of money and other forms of bribes that had to be paid to ensure that that organisation could do its job without hindrance, had managed to batter Bast's loyalty down. There was only one thing keeping him from resigning right now.  
  
The fact that, if he did so, he probably wouldn't survive until the next day.  
  
Jimmy Daltrey was the ultimate example of a modern, outgoing boss. To the trouble consultants of the 3WA, he was a fun guy who gave them little trouble and always rewarded them for their efforts, not to mention standing up for them in court when their failures got out of hand. It was only those who knew him closely, and there weren't all that many, who knew what Jimmy was really like.  
  
Completely insane.  
  
This was why Bast stayed on as Jimmy's executive assistant. He suspected that, if he tried to resign, Jimmy might just shoot him right there in the office, then hang his head on the back wall.  
  
There was only one person who scared Bast more than Jimmy. Luckily, she almost never came to see Jimmy in his office, so Bast had to deal with her as little as possible.  
  
The door opened and a young trouble consultant entered. Bast frowned. Under Jimmy's reign, most manners had gone out the window, in favour of climbing your way to the top. This one looked to be one of those latter-day, "I can blow stuff up if I join the 3WA"-type people.  
  
Bast put on his best disdainful voice. "Yes, can I help you?"  
  
The girl looked him up and down, seemingly unimpressed. "Are you Sebastian Weinberg?"  
  
"Yes...?"  
  
She gave a haughty look. "I'm Soryuu Asuka Langley, and I have an appointment with Mr. Daltrey now. If you could let him know I'm here."  
  
Oh, _this_ girl, Bast thought. One of the great mysteries of the world is why the CC keeps her here. Out loud, he said, "I'll see if Jimmy is ready for you. And I'd advise being on your best behaviour, Ms. Langley. Don't forget who you'll be talking to in there."  
  
Asuka immediately sported a wide grin. "Don't worry! I'll manage! Thanks for thinking about me, though!" Then, in just as perky a tone, she added, "Vielen dank, sie arschkriechender kleiner Buerokrat!"  
  
Bast's eyes narrowed. *So, insulting me in German, huh? Have I got a surprise for you, little lady...* He in turn, being just as perky, said "Not at all! You can go right in! Jederzeit gern, sie kleine zickige Kuh!"  
  
Asuka flushed, and tried to hide her face. She looked as if she couldn't decide between embarrassed or furious, but it didn't take her too long to settle on the latter. "Thank you. Good day!" And she marched right in.  
  
*God, that felt good,* thought Bast. *I really needed that.* He then looked at the mountain of paperwork still on his desk, and sighed.  
  
***  
  
Despite her outward bravado, Asuka was terrified. She was easily the longest serving trainee. When she was recruited, she was told that most trainees either were let go after two years, or became trouble consultants. Asuka had been there for four years now, and she saw no sign of the 3WA making up its mind either way. She was worried that this would be Mr. Daltrey telling her that she had to go.  
  
It wasn't that she wasn't a good trainee. In weapons training, she was one of the best. Tactics was a little less good, but after four years she'd managed to pull up to the top there, too.  
  
No, the main reason she was still here was that Asuka failed every test to pair her up. The 3WA troubleshooting agents worked in teams, and Asuka was not a team player. She'd been through eight different partners, and none of them had worked out. Much to her chagrin, six of those people were now in teams of their own.  
  
She'd studied enough history of the organisation to know how vital teamwork was. She didn't exactly go out of her way to ruin her partnerships. It just happened that everyone she was paired with was a moron. She had to do _everything_, leaving her partners behind in the dust. It wasn't something she enjoyed...why couldn't they just keep up with her?  
  
So it was with no small amount of trepidation that she went into Jimmy's office. She was repeating a mantra to herself: Call him Jimmy, call him Jimmy. She had been raised to show a healthy dose of respect to her superiors, for that frequently meant promotion, according to her mother. Unfortunately, Jimmy was the sort of boss who felt that an informal group is a happy group, and frowned on people who used his last name. This had frequently led to trouble for Asuka, and she was trying to remember this time.  
  
Jimmy looked up as she entered his office. He had been standing by the fireplace reading a report. Jimmy's face was too long and angular to be called handsome, but it projected a sort of roguish charm. He had recently started growing his hair long, and it now fell around his shoulders in long blond curls. He smiled as Asuka walked in.  
  
"Asuka! Great to see you! Please, get yourself a drink and sit down!"  
  
Asuka went over to the fridge and got herself a Coke. The last thing she needed was to be getting drunk in front of the big boss. She wondered if she should make small talk at first or just get right to the point. Running through her extremely limited repertoire of small talk, she decided to take the second option.  
  
"Sir...um, Jimmy, I'm curious as to why you've called me here. I know I'm one of your top trainees, but...you've rarely seen me personally."  
  
Jimmy smiled. "I know, Asuka, and I'm sorry. You've had an extremely difficult time here, and much of it is not your fault. It is well known that the 3WA prides itself on two people working as a unit. We haven't changed that philosophy. But I think we were going at it the wrong way with you. We were trying to adapt you to the 3WA. This has proven to be impossible."  
  
Asuka paled. They were going to get rid of her! My God, what was she going to do? She didn't have anything else planned! Her mother had groomed her to be a trouble consultant since the 3WA's beginnings! Attempting to keep her face composed, she asked, "So you've decided to give up on me?" There was a faint tremolo in her voice, much to her disgust.  
  
Jimmy laughed, which made her look up in anger for a moment. Then she realised that she was getting angry at the man who held her future in his hand, and quickly stifled it.  
  
"No, no. You misunderstand. We were trying to adapt you to the 3WA. That didn't work, so we're going to try to adapt the 3WA to you. I had the Central Computer do a search to find a trainee on this planet who would be your ideal partner. It took a while, as you are a very individualistic young woman, but we found her!"  
  
Asuka's eyes got big. If they were willing to have the Central Computer look for a partner for her...she'd obviously been underestimating her importance. The 3WA had been testing itself, looking for the perfect partner to match up with someone such as her! She could actually feel her ego inflate. She finally spoke up. "So do I need to report to the training grounds to meet her?"  
  
Jimmy grinned that grim of his again. "Ah, that's my other surprise. Because the Central Computer has perfectly hand-picked this partner of yours, no training is necessary. We're ready to send you out in the field."  
  
Asuka's jaw dropped. "Sir...Jimmy, what are you saying?"  
  
"I'm saying that your long wait has come to an end. May I offer you my congratulations Trouble Consultant Langley? You did it!"  
  
In that moment, all of the control that Asuka's mother had instilled in her went right out of the window. She laughed, and began to dance around the room. "I did it! I'm a TC! Hahahahahaha!!!"  
  
Then she realised again where she was. "Aaah! Um, sorry, sir.. um, Jimmy. I was just excited."  
  
He didn't seem to mind in the least. "Of course you were. Don't worry about it. I think it's time to meet your new partner."  
  
Asuka was very interested in this. She had been through so many of them that she was sure she was incompatible with any partner. What made this one so different?  
  
As if to answer her, Jimmy said, "The CC decided that the problem lay in how your partners were chosen. They were too similar to you, and that led to control problems. So it decided to choose someone to be your partner who was the complete opposite of you. Someone mild, calm, not having the fiery spirit that you possess. Together you could be quite a team!"  
  
As if to answer him, the door opened and a young woman walked in. She was already dressed in a Trouble Consultant's uniform, and her pale skin made it stand out even more. In fact, she almost looked like an albino. Her light blue-grey hair gave even more of an impression of someone who was encased in ice. She looked at Asuka, but her face showed no expression.  
  
Jimmy made the introductions. "Soryuu Asuka Langley, this is Ayanami Rei. She's been training separately from the other cadets, so that's why you haven't seen her up until now."  
  
Asuka looked at Rei curiously. "Separately? Why?"  
  
Rei remained silent, simply staring at Asuka. Jimmy coughed. "Well, though I said the two of you are completely different, there is one thing you have in common. Rei also has trouble working with people, to such an extent that normal training with her is impossible. However, her skill as an agent was so good that we kept her here and tried to find another way. That turned out to be you. We never dreamed of putting the two of you together, but the Central Computer told us it would work beautifully."  
  
Asuka stared at Rei, who still had barely moved. "Um...hi, Rei. It's nice to be working with you."  
  
Rei tilted her head a little. "Hello." That was it.  
  
Asuka was feeling a little frustrated at the lack of communication going on here. Was this woman some sort of cold fish or what? She turned her attention back to Jimmy, who was speaking again.  
  
"I can see that you're having some doubts about this. I had a few myself, to be frank. But Asuka, don't think of this as trying to be partners for a TC team. Think of it as an exercise in drawing someone out. Rei's major fault is that she doesn't know how to react in certain situations. You do, you're a positive sea of reactions. While you learn from Rei about calmness, about thinking before rushing into combat, we hope that she will learn about your fire, about the inspiration that can lead a person to solutions."  
  
Rei had remained stone-faced through this whole exchange, and Asuka's doubts were growing. Nonetheless, she kept a happy face on. "So, do we have an assignment?"  
  
Jimmy smiled. "You do indeed. I'm going to tell you a story about the 3WA's little skeleton in the closet...she's called Shasti."  
  
For the next half-hour, Asuka got a rundown on the 3WA's only rogue agent. Apparently Shasti had decided to turn to criminal activities a few years ago, and had been terrorising half of the galaxy. A good deal of 3WA's resources were devoted to hushing up the story to avoid bad publicity. However, recently Shasti had stolen a cloning machine, one used by the 3WA itself to recover agents who might be killed in the line of duty. She had cloned her former partner, Deirdre, and also, Asuka was shocked to find, the Lovely Angels, Kei and Yuri.  
  
"She cloned the Dirty Pair?!" Asuka said unbelievingly, until her brain made her realise her error. "Er, I mean..."  
  
Jimmy smiled. "The Angels aren't in the room now, Asuka, and I think we can forgive you that one lapse, though I wouldn't recommend saying it to their faces."  
  
Asuka flushed. "Of course not, sir."  
  
"Since there is no telling how Shasti could influence those clones, and the possibility of four trained 3WA agents overrunning the galaxy is almost too horrible to contemplate, the 3WA can no longer afford to just work quietly on this while maintaining a low profile. You and Rei will have only one goal for your first assignment. You will find Shasti and her clones, and subdue them by any means necessary. And yes, that means you might have to kill them."  
  
Asuka felt a chill run through her. Sure, she knew it came with the job, and there were some practice missions where it seemed that she would revel in the task, but she had never actually killed anyone before. She had never given much thought to that aspect of a trouble consultant's work, even though the TC training missions tended to end with the ground littered with corpses. Being a trouble consultant meant going around waving a gun and solving people's problems. Being a trouble consultant meant finally being able to please her mother.  
  
And it would appear that being a trouble consultant meant killing people as well. She hoped she could do it.  
  
None of this showed on her face, of course. However, it seemed as if Jimmy caught her general reaction anyway, because he smiled warmly and reached out to pat her hand.  
  
"I know it might seem tough. If it will help you, you don't have to think of them as 'real'. After all, except for Shasti, they aren't the originals. And Shasti is only a bioroid."  
  
This only succeeded in disturbing Asuka more. She had never been comfortable with the 3WA's new cloning policy in the first place, but they had stressed the importance of the fact that the clones were exactly the same as the originals. Telling her now that they were less than human left Asuka with some very disturbing thoughts. Nevertheless, she just nodded. "I'll do my best, si...Jimmy."  
  
Jimmy seemed to be more amused than annoyed by her constant slips, Asuka was relieved to note. Turning to Rei, she was astonished to find she had actually moved, and was now looking at Jimmy. Jimmy noticed this as well.  
  
"Well, why don't I wrap things up here. Asuka, I need to talk to Rei for a few minutes, and then the two of you can begin to get to know each other."  
  
The prospect of getting to know Rei did not thrill Asuka in the least; nevertheless, she tried to look cheerful. "I'm looking forward to it!" she said to Rei. Rei looked back at her, but her expression still didn't change from its blank stare. Asuka coughed; she was beginning to dislike this woman.  
  
She noticed Jimmy looking at her, and realised that this was her cue to exit. "I'll meet you in the lounge in ten minutes, all right, Rei?" One last chance for a reaction.  
  
Rei turned. "Yes." She then turned back to Jimmy. So much for a reaction.  
  
Asuka started to salute, then stopped herself. Flushing once more, she thanked Jimmy and left. Passing the annoying assistant without a second glance, she mused on what had just happened.  
  
*Well, I can't say I like everything about it, but who cares! I'm finally a 3WA TC!*  
  
And finally, almost as an afterthought:  
  
*Mother. I'll make you proud.*  
  
***  
  
As Asuka left the room, Jimmy turned his gaze to Rei. She had actually reacted during his speech to Asuka. Not enough that Asuka notice anything, but Jimmy could tell. He therefore wanted to talk to her and make sure her priorities were still in order.  
  
He grinned. "Rei, were you a little upset by my speech about bioroids and clones not being real people?"  
  
Rei kept staring at him. He knew she would answer eventually, if he just waited long enough. Sure enough after about ten seconds, she actually spoke. "I was not upset."  
  
"But you thought about it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Rei, that speech was what I used to give Asuka the push she needed. The two of you are supposed to be a fully-functioning team. That means that we can't have Asuka doubting herself. Don't worry about it. Yes, I know you are a bioroid, but you forget that I am a _clone_ of a bioroid. The best of both worlds, and I still regard myself as a true example of the pinnacle of human society."  
  
For a moment Jimmy just sat there, grinning like an idiot at her. Then his tone got serious, though the smile remained.. "Now, you are aware that there are certain aspects of my speech to Asuka that do not apply to you. You are not to let yourself be influenced by her behaviour. I told her to try and draw you out because it would give her something to do, but I don't want to see it working. You were created for a purpose. You know what that is."  
  
"Yes," Rei replied.  
  
"There are various likely points of arrival for the four of them. In addition, they might have considerable backup. The backup is not your concern. Take out Shasti, Deirdre, Kei, and Yuri. _Immediately_. The longer they live, the more danger they are to us."  
  
Rei looked up. "And the fifth?"  
  
Jimmy was startled for a moment, then grinned again. "Should have known you'd have the briefing memorised. No, Miss Emerson will be handled by someone else. Your only concern are the four TC's."  
  
Jimmy's face actually ceased smiling for a moment, as he looked straight into Rei's eyes. "Asuka might give you trouble. We have fully prepared for that possibility as well. You may be forced to kill her. If so, do it quickly and quietly. We do not want any witnesses to what we are actually doing."  
  
Rei was silent. Jimmy waited for her response, but realised after about thirty seconds that she wasn't going to make one. Irritated, he spoke up. "Rei, do you understand what I just said?"  
  
Another pause, then Rei spoke. "Yes, I understand."  
  
Jimmy's smile came back. "Good. Now, it's time to go deal with your partner. She is very good, Rei, so don't be afraid to use her in the mission. However, if it comes to a choice between letting her know what is going on or remaining in ignorance, choose the latter. You can go now."  
  
Rei nodded, and left. Jimmy stared at the door for a moment, then relaxed. He got up and went to the sideboard, pouring himself a martini. Personally, he preferred run and Coke, but a martini fit the style of the room better, and nothing was more important to Jimmy than style.  
  
The meeting had been interesting, to say the least. It was times like these that he missed Jim. Getting used to only the one personality had been very difficult, but there wasn't much of a choice. The clone could only accept Jim or Jimmy, and there was no doubt which was the more important.  
  
Still, it had its benefits. He'd felt more free than he ever had this past year, and had quickly risen to the top of the 3WA organisation, helped along by a few accidents. Those who didn't know him well thought he was the coolest boss they'd ever had, and those who did were too terrified to tell them any better.  
  
He heard the panel behind him click open, and he smiled. Without turning, he said, "How was the show?"  
  
He felt a pair of arms around his chest. "It went very well. I managed to sound partisan while at the same time leaving no question as to where the blame lay."  
  
He giggled. It was only with his lover that he could truly let himself go all the way, and the giggle became a loud laugh. He turned and looked at her with a twinkle in his eye. "How long were you listening to the meeting?"  
  
She smiled. "Since Asuka left. I'm curious, Jimmy. Why aren't you letting Rei kill Emerson? Don't tell me you're becoming soft- hearted in your old age?" There was a gleam in her eye that matched his.  
  
"Far from it, my dear. In fact, that was my surprise. I thought it would be a lovely idea if you could take care of her yourself."  
  
She squealed. "Oh Jimmy _darling_," she said, and kissed him deeply. "You won't regret this."  
  
He smiled. I know I won't. I know you've wanted to do this ever since your 'birth', so to speak. After all the universe isn't big enough for two Cory Emersons."  
  
Cory smiled, as she began to remove his shirt. "It certainly isn't."  
  
End of Part 1  
  



	2. Part 2: The Dirty Jobs

(Note: in this part, there are two characters called Jamie. When in separate rooms, they will be referred to as Jamie. When together, one of them will be called by her nickname, Zen.)  
  
(Yes, _that_ Zen.)  
  
Part Two: The Dirty Jobs  
  
There was absolutely no sense of waking up. Shasti found herself fully conscious, walking along a forest path. She looked down at herself, and saw she was wearing a ridiculously impractical dress, with a large hoop skirt, and what felt like a whalebone corset. *What in God's name was I thinking*, she asked herself. She attempted to stop and get a better look at her surroundings, but her body did not seem to be listening to her. Despite every attempt her brain made to tell it to stop, it continued along the path.  
  
Finally giving up, Shasti began to get a little scared. After all, she had only recently recovered from her multiple personality disorder, not to mention the trauma of being, as Cory put it, 'slightly psychotic'. Had something happened to her? Was one of her personalities in charge again, and if so, why couldn't she communicate with it?  
  
She was unable to think much on the subject, however, as she saw a fork in the path in the distance, with a figure standing by it. On closer inspection, it turned out to be Deirdre, wearing a dress every bit as silly as Shasti's, but in blue instead of Shasti's dark green. "There you are!" Deirdre exclaimed. "I was beginning to think you'd never make it. I sent Kei and Yuri along to set everything up."  
  
Shasti tried to tell Deirdre what was happening to her, but something completely different came from her lips. "Yes, I would have been here sooner, but it took me _ages_ to find the right dress."  
  
Deirdre laughed. "Really, Shasti, it's not as if there will be any men on this picnic. I see you even put on the corset."  
  
"One never knows when a man might come popping up, Deirdre my sweet, and I intend to be prepared for any eventuality." Shasti simply could not believe what she was saying. What the hell was happening to her?  
  
As they entered the clearing, Shasti saw Kei and Yuri, dressed in clothing just as fancy as hers, spreading out a couple of blankets and putting down a truly incredible amount of food. As Shasti gaped from inside her mind, she saw Kei lift a finger into the air, and laugh as a bird settled down onto it and started to twitter.  
  
Yuri glanced over. "Kei, I wish I had your command with the birds and animals. How do you get them to do that?"  
  
Kei blushed. Shasti felt like rubbing her eyes to make sure she'd seen that properly. Her voice was different, too, very quiet and shy. "They know that I would never hurt them, Yuri, that's all."  
  
Deirdre and Shasti walked over. Shasti felt herself talking, again seemingly without any conscious control. "I take it that Kei's presence here means that we won't be having any pheasant?"  
  
The bird on Kei's hand twittered and flew off. Kei turned a disapproving stare on Shasti. "You did that on purpose."  
  
Deirdre interrupted. "It might have been a good idea, Kei, for we have all this food, and we cannot give it all to the birds."  
  
Kei smiled shyly. "Considering the number of cakes that Yuri packed, you are probably correct. Besides, that much sugar is surely bad for their constitution."  
  
The four of them sat down and Yuri began to pass around the plates. Deirdre took a bun. "Shasti, would you be a dear and pass me the butter knife?"  
  
Shasti saw herself pick up the knife. But instead of handing it to Deirdre, she gripped it by the blade and threw it right at Deirdre. Despite the blunt edge, it cut through Deirdre's neck, sending her head flying onto the blanket. It landed directly on Yuri's plate.  
  
Inside her head, Shasti screamed in horror. But Kei and Yuri's only reaction seemed to be distaste. "Shasti, we have told you that this penchant for killing your best friend has got to stop. Now go put her body with the others, and we shall try to get back to our meal."  
  
Numbly, Shasti attempted to sob. But all that her body did was carefully gather up the body under one arm, take Deirdre's head in the other, and set out for a point just off to the side of the clearing.  
  
Shasti had thought that this could not possibly get any worse. She had promised Deirdre that she would never kill her again. Now it seemed that she had broken that promise. But as she came over the rise, she saw a sight that filled her with loathing. Finally, she had control of her body, and she let go of Deirdre and fell to the ground, retching and screaming.  
  
Before her lay at least a hundred corpses. All of them had the same thing in common: they were all Deirdre. Some had been decapitated, others were blackened, as if burned. Still others looked pruny and sickly with poison. And all of them had their eyes turned towards Shasti, accusing her without words but only with their dead gazes.  
  
Shasti looked back at the clearing, but Kei and Yuri had disappeared. She let out another scream, finally able to express the confusion, rage and grief that had consumed her since she first woke.  
  
"So. It seems that I was wrong about you."  
  
Shasti turned in shock. Standing on the other side of the corpses was Cory Emerson, looking at Shasti with hatred and disgust.  
  
Cory continued. "I should have known better than to think you could reform. After all, you're not a real person. You're just a robot, a robot whose programming was faulty. Look around you, look at all the death and pain you've caused. You killed them all, Shasti."  
  
Shasti rose to her feet, shaking. "No, I didn't. It's not true! I'm better now, I didn't kill her, I -- "  
  
Cory walked across the pile of bodies and slapped Shasti across the face. "Look around you! Deirdre is dead a hundred times over, and I see you standing here covered in blood. What else am I supposed to believe?"  
  
Looking down at herself, Shasti could now see that she was covered in blood and gore, seeping through her dress and staining her skin. She turned back to Cory in terror.  
  
But Cory had already turned, and was beginning to walk away. "I can't believe I ever considered you a friend." Then she was gone.  
  
Shasti began to panic, desperately trying to convince Cory that she was innocent, despite all the evidence before her. But she was finding it increasingly hard to move. She didn't want to look down, but couldn't help herself.  
  
Deirdre's corpses were raising themselves up and attempting to drag Shasti down to the ground. She vainly attempted to resist, but there were so many of them, so many Deirdres that she'd killed, and they were beginning to succeed. Shasti slipped and fell to the ground, and then they were on top of her, choking and pummelling her.  
  
Shasti screamed one last time, as she felt her neck snap...  
  
***  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHGGHGHGGGGGGGGGH!!!!!!"  
  
The scream made everyone in the room jump. Ishtar and Deirdre ran across the room, the former attempting to find out what the problem was, the latter holding her partner while trying to soothe her.  
  
Gradually, the screams died down, and then Shasti opened her eyes. Cory, Kei and Yuri came over now, looking at Shasti with concern in their eyes.  
  
She screamed again and tried to struggle out of Deirdre's arms. "No, I killed you. I saw it."  
  
Deirdre tried to reassure her. "Shasti, that was a long time ago..."  
  
Shasti was beginning to tremble, and her head was shaking back and forth. "No, just now. I couldn't stop myself. We were having a picnic, and I decapitated you, and Cory wouldn't speak to me, and all of these corpses with your face tried to kill me..." The last was all but unintelligible, as she started to sob again.  
  
Cory blinked. "It sounds like Shasti had a nightmare."  
  
Deirdre shook her head. "No, it can't be. Shasti's never been able to have nightmares bef..." She slowly ground to a halt, staring at the woman in her arms. "Could it be...is this one of the things she'd get from being made completely human? Ishtar?"  
  
Ishtar, who had been checking on Shasti's condition, shrugged. "I don't see why not. Shasti's clone body is just as human as the rest of us."  
  
Deirdre's brow furrowed. "But her brain is the same. I thought that would be what would control her dreams and nightmares. Why would the sudden change of bodies cause it?"  
  
Ishtar frowned as well. "Perhaps Shasti has always been able to dream, and has just suppressed it until now. On the other hand, there were so many devices implanted in her body that we didn't know about. Thought controllers, metabolic regulators, you name it. Any one of those could have been responsible for Shasti's lack of dreaming. Now that she doesn't have them anymore...I imagine it would be quite a shock to her, judging from the description of her nightmare."  
  
Deirdre nodded. "It sounded like her worst fears coming true. Not being able to control her actions, killing me, Cory abandoning her..." She turned her attention back to Shasti, who was still shuddering, albeit less violently. "Shasti, it's alright. I'm here, and I'm not dead. It must have been a nightmare, Shasti. You just had a nightmare."  
  
After a few moments, Shasti's tear-streaked face came into view. "A nightmare? As in dreaming?"  
  
"Yes, Shasti," Cory put in. "Ishtar says that you should be able to dream just as easily as the rest of us now."  
  
"A nightmare...I had an actual nightmare..."  
  
Suddenly Shasti's face split into a grin, and she began to laugh. "I did it! I dreamed! Deirdre, *I did it*!"  
  
The others were rather alarmed at this change in Shasti's demeanour, but Deirdre knew why she was acting this way. Not being able to dream had weighed heavily on Shasti's mind. It was one of the things that constantly reminded her she wasn't human. To her, a dream, even a bad one, would be seen as coming one step closer to her goal. Deirdre grinned, and hugged Shasti tightly. "You said it, partner. You did it!"  
  
Just as quickly, Shasti became serious again. "Oh god, it was so real. I couldn't believe what was happening to me! I knew what was happening, but I couldn't control myself..."  
  
"Shasti, it's OK. A lot of dreams are like that..." Cory said soothingly.  
  
But Shasti wasn't listening. "And then I threw the butter knife and decapitated Deirdre, and Yuri made me take the body away."  
  
Despite herself, Deirdre giggled. "You decapitated me with a butter knife? Wow, Shasti, you're more talented than I thought!"  
  
Shasti, as more details of her nightmare came back to her, began to laugh as well. "And we were having a picnic with Kei and Yuri, and I was wearing a corset, and Kei was a shy young thing who was kind to small animals! A bird actually landed on her finger!"  
  
Cory and Yuri, catching on to what Deirdre was trying to do, began to laugh as well. Kei was a little more reticent. "I don't see why the idea of me being sweet is so funny," she grumbled.  
  
Shasti was shaking with laughter. "And then Yuri, rather than being horrified when you died, just snootily told me to put the body with the others! And I went over to this hill, and there were *hundreds* of you, and they were all dead and they were looking at me and then Cory called me a murderer and I couldn't move again and they came to life and you all started to kill me! NO! KEEP AWAY FROM ME!"  
  
Shasti's speech had grown from hysterical laughter to hysteria, and she finally managed to hurl herself out of the bed and away from the other, inadvertently ripping out her IV in the process. She curled up in the corner and started to shake again.  
  
Deirdre's face fell. She had hoped that Shasti would be able to take to being fully human easily, but it seemed that it was going to be more complicated than that. She turned to Ishtar. "This is a result of the operation, isn't it?" Her voice held a note of accusation.  
  
Ishtar sighed. "For the most part, although I think Shasti's sense of self still being underdeveloped might be an additional problem. This sort of operation is never easy. Even the most well-adjusted patients take at least a week to recover fully, usually more."  
  
"The problem is, Shasti is not just dealing with a new body. She's dealing with glands, and hormones, and other things that were, for simplicity's sake, programmed into her bioroid body. She thinks that she can control her emotions, but she can't. It's something she's going to have to learn. I wish Briareos was here."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"One of the reasons I went ahead with this is because we had done something like it before. Although Briareos had been human once before being converted to a cyborg. Plus he was far more well-adjusted than Shasti was. In any case, he and Deunan are off planet now, so Shasti's recovery will have to be handled by all of us."  
  
Ishtar looked at the shape huddled in the corner. "It could take a lot of time. At least a month."  
  
"We don't have a month."  
  
Everyone turned to the doorway. Hilda was standing there with a determined look on her face.  
  
"The Circle has declared this a major operation, and we need everyone we can get. That includes Shasti. I need her to be up and ready to fight in a week."  
  
Ishtar, unfazed, rose to her feet and marched over to Hilda. "A week is impossible. I simply do not have the resources. Hilda, look at her. I could try to do a quick paste-up recovery, but it might cripple her mind later on. Do you want to take that risk?"  
  
Hilda's face remained unchanging. Even though the doctor was at least a foot and a half taller, it seemed as if Hilda was towering over her. "We have the resources. I've already talked with the Circle about this, and we can get Shasti to a place where she can recover extremely quickly."  
  
"Where is that?"  
  
"Oz."  
  
Ishtar slumped into a chair, putting her head in her hands. "Oh, for God's sake, Hilda."  
  
"I can't think of a better place. We have Glinda there to make sure that Shasti can't inadvertently cause any harm. Ozma is ready to talk to her about multiple personalities; after all, she was Tip for several years."  
  
"That's not quite the same thing."  
  
"No, but she's willing to give it a try. And the sheer number of creatures there who consider themselves fully sentient, despite being made of straw, or wood, or pumpkins, or clockwork...in fact, Tik-Tok has expressed a keen interest in talking to Shasti."  
  
Ishtar sighed. It was no good arguing with Hilda when she got like this. She turned to the others. "Do any of you have any opinions on this?"  
  
Deirdre was the one who spoke up. "From what I've read, I suppose Oz would be as good a place as any...we are talking about the books by L. Frank Baum?"  
  
Hilda laughed. "Indeed. Have one of the others tell you about the concept of World-As-Myth."  
  
Deirdre decided to let that pass for the time being. "Well, it could be a very good way of helping Shasti. After all, she never had a real childhood. She came out of the tank, and two months later she's a trouble consultant. The concept of play, in its purest form, is baffling to her. But I don't see how it can take less than a month. Shasti is...not at her best right now. If we were to put her into a battle situation unprepared, we could end up ruining everything we've done for her so far."  
  
Hilda smiled. "I know. If there was any way to avoid this, I'd take it. But we can't just sit and wait for Jimmy to make the first move. We have to be ready for him, and that means we need information. You and Shasti are the two that know him best, one through experience and one through similar upbringing. We need her. Otherwise we might not be able to win this one."  
  
"Jimmy? Jimmy's alive?"  
  
Everyone in the room jumped. Having gotten caught up in the argument, they had totally forgotten about Shasti, huddled in the corner of the room. She was looking up at Hilda, still trembling, but her face was composed.  
  
She asked again. "Jimmy is alive?"  
  
Hilda nodded. "Yes. Furthermore, he's head of 3WA now. We're going to try and stop him. We need your help."  
  
Shasti nodded. "I'll do whatever it takes."  
  
Deirdre and Cory both shouted "Shasti!" at the same time.  
  
"NO!" Shasti bellowed, startling everyone. "I need to do this. Jimmy is partially my fault, if only because of the success of my creation." Shasti pronounced 'success' oddly, as if the word meant something different to her. "If I let you all go without me, I could never forgive myself. I'll do whatever I need to do to...get myself under control." For a moment a giggle burst from her lips, but she quickly suppressed it. Clutching at herself tighter, she added, "Because I'm no use to anyone like this."  
  
***  
  
Shasti and Cory walked up the corridor towards the ship. It had introduced itself to them earlier as Gay Deceiver, which had thrown Shasti into a momentary panic. She was getting worse and worse at controlling her emotions. One moment she'd be happy and laughing, the next, screaming with anger and rage, or sobbing and collapsing onto her bed. Hilda had gradually convinced the rest of them that a trip to Oz would be the best thing for her.  
  
Cory had gotten used to the concept of World-As-Myth, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She hated the idea of being fictional, of some writer somewhere telling her what she could or couldn't feel. In a way, she supposed, Shasti must have felt the same way when her own controls were destroyed by LaCombe.  
  
Kei, Yuri and Deirdre were with Hilda and Lazarus, preparing an initial team to investigate. Against her better judgement, Cory would be joining them later.   
  
Lazarus seemed to be avoiding saying anything upsetting, and would look away whenever she glared in his direction.  
  
*Good,* she thought. *Maybe now he'll understand a little bit of what I felt when he was making all those accusations...*  
  
She quickly filed those thoughts away: she didn't want to get into that now. There were more important things to worry about. Cory had decided to join the team because there was a clone of her out there, somewhere in her universe, making a travesty of her life. *A _talk show_, for God's sake! How on Earth did anyone believe that I could have gotten so shallow so quickly? Sure, I always told my editor I wanted to move on to better stories, but not by totally compromising my credibility!*  
  
This clone, whoever she was, was going to have to be taken care of. The thought of killing anyone still made Cory's skin crawl, but maybe there was some other option. Deirdre had been able to shake off whatever training Jimmy had given her, maybe this clone could as well. Of course, that would still mean that there would still be two Cory Emersons in the world.  
  
Cory's reverie was interrupted as Shasti clutched briefly at her arm. "Shasti, are you all right?" Cory asked.  
  
She could see Shasti pause and take a few deep breaths before trying to reply. "No, I'm not. I hope this works, Cory. I really do. But if it doesn't, if I'm going to be like this for the rest of my life..."  
  
Cory was startled at how troubled Shasti sounded. She attempted to reassure her. "Don't worry, Shasti. Everything will be fine."  
  
Shasti turned towards her. "Cory, I tried to kill myself last night."  
  
Cory's eyes bugged out. "WHAT?!" she yelled.  
  
"I can't think anymore. I try to control myself, but then something happens, and I lose it. Last night, I couldn't take it anymore, and I tried to hang myself. But that stupid computer never goes to sleep, and it told the doctor what I was doing. They strapped me down for the rest of the evening. Cory, they're already treating me as if I was mentally ill..."  
  
"They're trying to protect you." Cory protested.  
  
But Shasti wasn't listening. "Why did I let them do this to me? I was finally beginning to get a hold of my life, and now this happens. Why did I tell them to do this?" Suddenly, she turned on Cory, furious. "You let them. You could have stopped them! WHY DID YOU LET THEM DO THIS TO ME?!"  
  
Cory could see the blow coming, but was so shocked that she didn't even try to dodge. Shasti's punch sent her head rocking back, and she crumpled to the floor. She desperately tried not to pass out, fearing what Shasti might try if she did.  
  
But as quickly as it had come, Shasti's anger vanished. Cory found herself being held in Shasti's arms while the woman stroked her head and wept. "My God, Cory, I hit you! I'm sorry! Why did I hit you, it's not your fault, Oh God I'm sorry, I don't deserve you for a friend, you must hate me, I'm sorry..."  
  
Cory's first reaction was to slap Shasti to snap her out of it, but she realised that that would be the worst thing she could do. Instead, she reached out and gently put her hand over Shasti's mouth. Startled, Shasti stopped for a moment.  
  
"Shasti, I'm fine." Actually, her jaw felt as if it was almost broken, but this wasn't the right time to complain. "You're right, though. This is something you need to do. I'm sorry too, Shasti. Sorry for doubting you. Let's get you over to Gay Deceiver so that we can get you better."  
  
Shasti broke down and began to sob on Cory's shoulder. Cory ached inside; she hated seeing Shasti like this, any confidence she once had now destroyed.   
  
Suddenly, Shasti's sobbing ceased, and she stood up, helping Cory at the same time. "I'm alright now, I think. Let's get to the ship though, I don't know how long it will last."  
  
Cory nodded. "Right."  
  
As they headed down the corridor once more, Shasti's face took on a determined set. She would do this. She would get her mind back together, and she would help her friends. She owed them for so many things, and she would not let them down again. Images of shooting Deirdre in the back flashed across her mind, and she briefly winced.  
  
Not again. Never again.  
  
***  
  
Asuka had promised herself that she would not screw up this partnership. She would be polite, take everyone's feelings into account, not scream at them for being incompetent, and try to let them help out with the mission a bit as well.  
  
Which was why this new partner was driving her up the wall.  
  
She was so passive! *I mean, I know that the Central Computer chose us as partners because we complemented each other, but this is ridiculous!*  
  
One of the things that worried Asuka was the way that Rei tended to pause for a few seconds before responding to any question, as if she was evaluating every single answer in her mind. Asuka hoped that she wasn't going to be like this in a combat situation...because if she froze up in the middle of a shootout, not only would she get herself killed, but Asuka as well.  
  
There were so many questions that Asuka wanted to ask Rei. However, if she got too inquisitive, Rei might want to know something about her in return. A fair question for almost anyone else, the thought of describing her life up to this point to anyone gave Asuka the shakes. So she decided to just live with the fact that her partner was a stiff, and try and do something about it in other ways.  
  
They were currently sitting in the medical bay, waiting for Doctor Akagi to finish with her other patients. Asuka wasn't very comfortable with getting all the information from the computer. Oh, it saved time, but she wanted the experience of being able to ferret out the clues, slowly finding the answer. Using all this technology wasn't as satisfying.  
  
Rei hadn't complained, or even cared. She was sitting quietly in the corner, as if someone had turned off a switch. Who knows, maybe she's some kind of robot, Asuka thought. This left Asuka to lie on a bed and stare at the ceiling, cursing her new partner, the wait the doctor was putting them through, and Shasti for being evil enough to do all this in the first place.  
  
*Not that I'm complaining, but they could have started me off with something easier,* she thought. *She could be anywhere in the galaxy by now, she's got warped clones of three of the best agents the 3WA's ever produced, and they expect us to just waltz up and capture them? Right, I can imagine that scene. Maybe Mr. Daltrey was right. Maybe we will have to kill them.*  
  
Frustrated, she rolled off the bed and got to her feet. Rei continued to ignore her. Asuka finally decided to take action. Maybe she couldn't ask why she was that way, but she could certainly do something about it. Mr. Daltrey had made it her secondary mission to get Rei to open up and have emotions, and that's exactly what Asuka was going to do.  
  
She walked over to Rei and dramatically pointed a finger at her. "This is totally unacceptable! I'm not going to have a partner who just sits and doesn't talk! Mr. Daltrey -- "  
  
"Jimmy," Rei interrupted.  
  
Asuka still had trouble with that. "Don't interrupt me! J-Jimmy told me to handle your emotional needs, and that's just what I'm going to do! For starters, we'll try a laugh. Laugh."  
  
Rei looked blankly at Asuka. There was a ten-second pause before she answered. "Why?"  
  
"Because you need to develop your emotional centres! You won't willingly laugh until you get used to it, so you've got to practice. Go ahead, try it."  
  
For one moment, Asuka thought she saw a look of frustration pass across Rei's face. This might have been her imagination, however, as a second later Rei looked back with her blank face again.  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm not sure..."  
  
"It's easy. Watch me." Asuka threw back her head and laughed. Unfortunately, the combination of the frustration of the day and a lack of anything genuinely funny around her made the laugh sound somewhat maniacal. Asuka flushed, embarrassed.  
  
However, her laugh did have the benefit of making Rei change her expression. Rei cocked her head and looked closer at Asuka. "Are you feeling well?"  
  
Asuka flushed even more. "I'm fine! Dammit, where is that doctor?" She sighed. "Look, let's start smaller. Try at least smiling."  
  
Once again, Rei paused for a few seconds, and then asked, "Why?"  
  
Asuka found herself shouting. *Well,* she thought, *I lasted longer with this one than my other temporary partners.* "Because it's something you need to learn! Because you're happy!"  
  
Rei frowned, and Asuka nearly cried. This was exactly the opposite of what she was going for. Rei's next question startled her, though.  
  
"Am I happy?"  
  
~~~  
  
"Why do you want to be a 3WA agent?"  
  
"To help others."  
  
"That is what you think I want to hear."  
  
"...my mother wants me to."  
  
"That is what she wants. Why do _you_ want to be a 3WA trouble consultant?"  
  
"..."  
  
"To feel needed?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"To feel admired?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"To find peace?"  
  
"SHUT UP!!!"  
  
"To be happy?"  
  
~~~  
  
As Asuka came back to reality, she saw that Rei was actually shaking her. "Asuka, are you okay?"  
  
Asuka pulled away. Good God, she was even crying! Where had that memory come from? She'd never had any training like that! She turned away from Rei, looking at the wall of the clinic.  
  
"I don't know if you're happy, Rei. But I think you should be. You're an agent in the 3WA, one of the best organisations in the galaxy. The Central Computer personally selected you as one of its best agents. And besides," and here Asuka turned and grinned, "you're partnered with someone as brilliant as me."  
  
Rei listened to all of this impassively. Then, when Asuka got to the end of her speech, Rei's mouth curled upwards. It wasn't an ironic or sarcastic smile, as Asuka used so often. It was genuinely warm.  
  
"You're right. I should be happy."  
  
Asuka gazed with relief at Rei, and found herself grinning widely. Victory.  
  
Suddenly the door opened, and Doctor Ritsuko Akagi stepped into the room. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but my other patient is a troublemaker. If you'll come this way, I'll hook you up to the information you need."  
  
Asuka cursed inwardly. Naturally, the doctor chose *that* moment to show up. Sighing, she got off the bed and followed her, with Rei bringing up the rear. Suddenly, she heard a voice from behind her.  
  
"Asuka...thank you."  
  
Asuka didn't turn around, but she thought she could sense a bit of a smile in the voice.  
  
***  
  
Upon entering the medical bay, the first thing Asuka noticed was the loud argument coming from the next room over. Doctor Akagi sighed.  
  
"You'll have to excuse us. I'm sure by now you heard about the Lovely Angels' latest disaster of a mission. Yuri's been recuperating in here, and Kei is visiting her. As you can imagine, this means that the two of them have been fighting non-stop for the past two hours."  
  
An assistant walked up. "Yeah, the Central Computer cleared them of all the charges, but the 3WA is finding it hard to convince the press of that. No thanks to Cory's talk show. I thought she was supposed to be friends with them?"  
  
Asuka shrugged; she didn't know enough about the Pair's social lives. Oh well, that's the sort of thing that would be in the briefing; Shasti was supposed to have cloned them as well. She turned to Rei.  
  
"Since the Pai--Angels are here, why don't we ask them what their opinions of Shasti are?"  
  
Rei stared at Asuka. "Why? The memory downloads should tell us everything."  
  
Asuka fumed. "We should talk to them anyway! Who knows what might not be in the memory downloads!"  
  
Dr. Akagi's assistant beamed. "The downloads provide a complete picture, agent Asuka. It's impossible to keep something from them. Who is this Shasti anyway?"  
  
Asuka sighed. "We can't really talk about it."  
  
The assistant grinned. "Oh, one of *those* cases."  
  
Dr. Akagi walked over. "Here, Maya, these should be the files that they'll need. Agents Shasti, Deirdre, Kei and Yuri."  
  
Maya got up. "Right. I'll be right back." She then left the room with a little spring in her step. Asuka sighed. *I remember when I used to be that perky. When did I become so cynical?*  
  
Dr. Akagi looked closely at her. "Why so glum?"  
  
Asuka narrowed her eyes, but then realised that if she couldn't talk to the 3WA's top physician, then who could she talk to? "I just...the way we're going about this bothers me. Shasti's been hiding for years, why does the 3WA think that we'd just snap her up? This case is being treated way too casually. Plus I don't like the idea of all my detective work being done by these memory downloads. I want to find things out for myself!"  
  
Dr. Akagi smiled. "I sympathise, Agent Asuka, but you have to understand that we have better methods now. You can get the same results with a five-minute download as you could spending a week walking around and talking to people. Also, the downloads include feelings, emotions, impressions - you're not missing anything. Time is of the essence."  
  
Asuka grumbled. "Why don't they just use bioroids for the agents then?"  
  
Dr. Akagi winced. "They tried. That's how Shasti came to be. The downloads should tell you everything."  
  
***  
  
Maya looked at the plugs she had been sent to collect. Everyone was acting very secretive about this mission that those two were on, a lot more so than usual. Ritsuko seemed to know something, but she wasn't telling. Maya could tell she was upset, though.  
  
Maya hated being kept in the dark. There was something going on here, and she wanted to know about it. She snuck a glance at the door. She had a few minutes, she could claim that there was a problem with the patients again. God knows they'd had enough of those today.  
  
Quickly she selected the Shasti plug and inserted it into her cyberjack. If there was something wrong, maybe she'd be able to help Ritsuko get over it...  
  
Maya jerked and her eyes glazed over. The plug wasn't working, something had gone wrong. She tried to yank it out, but found that she no longer seemed able to control her body. Her consciousness seemed farther and farther away. She tried to scream for help, but it was as if she wasn't in her body anymore.  
  
Her mind was wracked with pain, and she began to feel her awareness fade...  
  
***  
  
A hand reached out and plucked the plug from the girl's neck. Maya's body slumped momentarily, but then straightened again. There seemed to be a difference, though, maybe it was in the eyes.  
  
The other occupant in the room sighed. "That was not what was supposed to happen. Dammit."  
  
"What now?"  
  
"Now we go for Plan B. We'll have to let those two run around for a little longer to avoid suspicion while I see if I can prepare another one of these. I only have two. I should have foreseen something like this, but I was having too much fun imagining the torment they'd go through. Well, nothing to be done about it now. Come on."  
  
"Why don't you use the other plug?"  
  
Cory Emerson smiled. "That's the other part of Plan B. The other plug is for Dr. Akagi. That's one I'm going to take special care to make sure is done right."  
  
She looked at the plug in her hand marked Shasti, that contained all that was left of Maya Ibuki. "This should still work as an information plug, though. All we need to do is get rid of the irrelevant data..." She began to giggle.  
  
***  
  
Asuka sighed as she rubbed her temples. The dataplugs were supposed to be a perfect science, but there were still people who had trouble assimilating the information properly. Asuka was one of those; she now had a raging migraine from trying to take in all the information at once. She looked over at Rei, who seemed to be just fine. *Of course,* thought Asuka, *she's perfect in so many other ways, why not?*  
  
Asuka quickly stifled that thought as she reminded herself that she was going to get along with her new partner even if it killed her. She got up off of the bed and walked up to Doctor Akagi. "So, is this it?"  
  
Dr. Akagi blinked at her. "That's it. You should know everything that 3WA knows about the Shasti case. Which, admittedly, isn't much; Shasti was such an enigma in the first place, and there are no other bioroids around to make comparisons to."  
  
Asuka frowned as she sifted through the information in her head. There certainly wasn't much of it.   
  
Shasti was an experimental bioroid designed to be the perfect 3WA agent. It hadn't worked. She'd gone insane, killed her partner, and tried to kill the Lovely Angels before going on a criminal spree of unprecedented proportions. That was it. No background, no possible motive, and most disturbingly, no follow-ups. Jimmy had said that several people had tried to bring Shasti to justice. Why weren't they in here?  
  
She tried to catch the eye of her partner, only to find that Rei was also looking troubled. They both looked at each other, then looked at Doctor Akagi. Not in front of her, Asuka thought. If she's telling us that these plugs are complete, then she might be involved.  
  
Asuka shook herself. She was already beginning to get paranoid. Why shouldn't she trust Dr. Akagi? The 3WA was what she had devoted her whole life to; she had to believe in it.  
  
Still, there was still something nagging at her...  
  
She straightened. "Well, we'd better get back to work. Thank you for your help, Doctor."  
  
Dr. Akagi smiled. "Anytime." She seemed nervous for some reason, which did nothing to quell Asuka's doubts. She saluted and marched out of the room, more confused than ever. Rei quietly followed her, not bothering to salute.  
  
***  
  
Ritsuko watched the agents leave the room, and then turned back to her work. After about five minutes, she heard a noise from behind her, and swiftly turned. Maya was directly behind her, holding one of the memory plugs.  
  
Maya smiled. "Sorry, Dr. Akagi, but there seems to be something wrong with one of these plugs. I was wondering if you'd take a look at it."  
  
*Dr. Akagi?* Ritsuko's unease solidified as she took a look at the plug. Seemed utterly normal. "What's the problem?"  
  
"I'm not really sure. Maybe if you tried uploading it..."  
  
Ritsuko looked up with a flat gaze. "I don't know if that would be a good idea. Worst case scenario, I'd wind up just like you." She put the plug down and quickly raised her gun. She's been wearing it for the past three days, ever since she'd found out that they were going to do an 'official' investigation of Shasti. And official investigation of Shasti, she knew, would lead to Jimmy. And Jimmy was too smart to let some rookie agents discover his past.  
  
There had been several accidents and forced retirements lately. Most of her colleagues were dead or missing now. She knew what was going on, but didn't dare say anything. This was a new administration, and no one knew the shady past it emerged from. No one except Jimmy, and herself.  
  
Maya looked at the gun and her face went slack. "Where did I go wrong?"  
  
"Calling me Dr. Akagi instead of Ritsuko was a big hint. Maya always called me Ritsuko. I think she had a crush on me." Ritsuko watched Maya's face carefully, but there was no reaction. *Damn. So much for any hope of Maya being left in there.*  
  
"I presume this plug is for me, then."  
  
"Indeed." Ritsuko whirled around, and found herself staring at Cory Emerson. What in God's name was she doing there? Good Lord, could this conspiracy have moved even further than she'd thought?  
  
Cory smirked. "As you know, your colleagues from Experiment 101-E have been dropping like flies recently. People have even begun to take notice of it. So, sadly, we can't arrange the same for you. Still, all is not lost. You're fairly high up in the 3WA hierarchy, and could be of considerable use to us. So I came up with another plan. The other plug was supposed to affect Agent Asuka rather than your assistant, but she proved a little too curious."  
  
A small tear escaped Ritsuko's eye. *Oh, Maya...*  
  
Cory looked at the gun that Ritsuko was levelling at her. "I hope you don't think that you could just waltz out of here using that. There's no way you'd get away."  
  
Ritsuko smiled weakly. "I know that. But there's one small thing. I'd rather die than be used by you like that." She quickly raised the gun to her head. "And I never intended to use this gun on anyone else."  
  
Cory snarled, and reached out, but she was far too late to stop Ritsuko from pulling the trigger.  
  
***  
  
Asuka and Rei walked a few doors away from the medical bay before they risked talking. "You noticed too, then?" Asuka began.  
  
Rei nodded. "The plugs are incomplete. Someone deleted information from them before we could access it."  
  
"How do you know that it was deleted? Maybe it wasn't even there in the first place."  
  
"I can feel..." Rei paused, as if to decide how best to say what she was thinking. "I can feel the place where the information used to be. It's like a paper that's had the bottom half torn off. You can still see where it went on."  
  
Asuka blinked, rather surprised. "Is that a wetware package you picked up?"  
  
For a moment, Rei looked uncomfortable, before returning to her impassive mask. "I've always been like this." She paused again. "Asuka, do you like me?"  
  
"What?" The question seemed so unlike Rei that Asuka was taken aback. She turned away from Rei. "Yeah, I suppose. I mean, you're a stiff, but we're working on that. We're partners, right?"  
  
"Yes, we are." There was something in the way that Rei said those words that sent a shiver up Asuka's spine.  
  
Asuka waited for Rei to say something else, but there didn't seem to be anything more. She just put it down to another of Rei's oddities and moved on. "Look, I'm not sure why the information was deleted. Maybe Doctor Akagi is working for Shasti in some way."  
  
"Shasti? You think this has anything to do with Shasti?"  
  
Asuka spun around in shock, though Rei seemed to have expected it. A shape huddled in the doorway, concealed by a cloak. It was clear that he was trying his best to remain anonymous. It was also clear that he wasn't very good at it.  
  
"I suppose that Shasti is involved in an oblique way, but that's not why the plugs were tampered with. You need to -- Aaargh!"  
  
Rei had moved with a lightning-quick speed and grabbed his hands, forcing them behind his back. Asuka grinned. "Now, why don't you tell me who you are...you!"  
  
She had ripped the hood from off his head, and was rather surprised to find Jimmy's secretary, Sebastian, under it. He smiled weakly at her. "Greetings, Fraulein."  
  
She flushed, remembering how he'd embarrassed her at Jimmy's office. "What the hell do you want?"  
  
His eyes darkened. "I want the truth. It's getting increasingly harder to find these days."  
  
Rei looked at him curiously, still holding his hands behind his back. "If you're seeking the truth, why are you hiding in doorways and trying to deceive us?"  
  
"I'm not trying to deceive you at all!" Bast exclaimed, the relaxed a bit. "Look, finding the truth in the WWWA is difficult these days. Plus, it can also kill. I'm not doing this cloak and dagger stuff to hide from you, I'm doing it to hide from _them_."  
  
Asuka noticed his voice was getting more anxious. "Them?" she asked, in her best amused tone.  
  
He glared at her. "Jimmy. And the woman behind him."  
  
"You don't trust your own boss?"  
  
"Of course not. I know Jimmy better than almost anyone else, Agent Asuka. And he scares me. It's a huge risk coming here to talk to you, but I'm doing it because the alternative scares me even more."  
  
Bast gave both Asuka and Rei a level stare. "There are a lot of people who'd been with the Agency for years who have disappeared, or died in mysterious circumstances. He's got his fingers into everything. Hell, he's even got _you_ working for him."  
  
This last statement was directed at Rei, who seemed to flinch a little. Asuka didn't understand why. "We're both working for him."  
  
"Not 3WA, Agent Asuka. For Jimmy himself. Jimmy's plans have nothing to do with the future of our organisation, take it from me." He turned back to Rei. "Well? You do still have some sort of free will, or at least I hope the CC left you that. Do you work for 3WA, or do you work for Jimmy Daltrey?"  
  
Almost a minute went by while Rei blanked out. Bast just nodded, as if he had expected this. Finally, she responded.  
  
"I work for 3WA."  
  
Bast smiled. "Good, so do I. Now, to get to what I was saying. Let's keep this quick, I'm still very nervous about being discovered here. The reason the plugs were wiped has nothing at all to do with Shasti, so don't even bother trying to investigate her past. Anyway, if you follow the lines I'll give you, you'll get that information anyway -- "  
  
Asuka had had enough. "No disrespect, Mr. Weinberg, but to hell with you! I'm not having you tell me what to do! I'm a trained 3WA agent, you know! Plus, why are we supposed to trust you? Here you are, telling us that our leader is this great evil figure? I don't buy it!"  
  
Bast sighed. "Fine, so what _are_ you going to investigate? The plugs gave you nothing you couldn't have gotten from reading old records. I should know, I shredded all the relevant ones myself."  
  
Asuka just got madder. "We'll go question witnesses. The Pai -- the Angels are still in the infirmary. We'll go question them, and I'm sure we'll get a lot more from them than we ever would from you."  
  
Bast was silent for a moment, and then began to laugh. "All right. Question the Pair. I'm sure they'll tell you a lot, though it might not be exactly what you came looking for. I'm done, you can let me go."  
  
Rei paused for a moment, then nodded. Bast quickly put the hood back over his head.  
  
Asuka looked him over. "You're only drawing attention to yourself in that getup."  
  
"Well, I'm not very good at hiding!" Now it was Bast's turn to be angry. "Look, go off and do your detective work. But trust me, if you intend to get to the bottom of this, don't investigate Shasti's past. Investigate Jimmy." Once again, he gave Rei a hard look, which she returned with no expression.  
  
He sighed, and reached into his cloak. "And here, one more thing." He handed Rei an envelope. "Only open this if you have no more options to take. Opening too soon could be deadly. It could be deadly anyway, but the later the better."  
  
Asuka tried to take the envelope, but Bast stopped her. "No. Rei, much as I don't trust her, will take the envelope. You are simply too impulsive."  
  
Asuka growled, then spun on her heel and stalked off. Rei looked at Bast for a moment, then followed.  
  
Bast allowed himself a sad smile. "I should have done more. I should be doing more."  
  
Instead, he headed back to Jimmy's office.  
  
***  
  
Cory sat in Dora, slumped in the co-pilot's chair. The bridge was empty at the moment, as Dora was taking care of getting them to their destination. So Cory was faced with a two-hour journey with nothing to do except socialise. That was why she had come up here; to get _away_ for a few minutes and think about how she'd got here.  
  
After making sure Shasti was safely away, she'd come back to the Circle, which was having a full meeting to discuss what needed to be done in order to fix things. She'd been through this once before, on her last visit, but was surprised at how slick the whole thing had become. Her first meeting with what would eventually become The Circle of Ouroboros hadn't gone _nearly_ as smoothly...  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
It was not a happy crew that returned to Tertius. Kei and Yuri were in shock over Mughi's death, Laz and Lor were upset that they had ended up ruining the timeline, and Cory was blazing mad. She couldn't get over the callous way that the Dora had just run away, leaving everyone on that station to their fate. Lor had said that they might be able to go back a second time to try and fix things, but Laz wasn't sure. "With two of each of us already there, it becomes that much more difficult to get anything done."  
  
They'd radioed ahead saying they were returning with guests. Someone on the other end had asked how it had gone, but the twins just said that they would explain when they arrived.  
  
Four people met them at the landing bay. A tall, leggy blonde dressed in a lab coat and not much else quickly looked everyone over, and then began to examine Kei and Yuri more closely, as they were exhibiting signs of shock.   
The other three stood together, and Laz and Lor seemed to defer to them. One was an older man with a white beard and what seemed like a permanent bemused expression fixed on his face. The second was an incredibly small woman, looking rather like a China doll, with long black hair. Her expression was serious.  
  
But it was the last that was the most interesting, at least to Cory. He looked to be in his early to mid-30s, with very red hair and a beard to match. In fact, looking at him more closely, Cory guessed that he was the twins' father; their faces were almost identical. His eyes, though, made him look as if he was much older than he was. His expression at the moment was almost as angry as hers.  
  
Cory listened as Laz and Lor began to tell their story of what happened, and got even more frustrated as they seemed to put most of the blame of the mission's failure on her. She decided, politeness or no, it was time to interrupt.  
  
She walked over and faced the tall redhead; she guessed he was the leader, since the twins seemed to be explaining everything to him. "Excuse me," she began, "but I think we're missing the point. However this was done, the important thing is that people have died. Kei told me that you guys can travel in time. Is it possible to do anything about this?"  
  
The man seemed to be staring at her in shock. The small woman turned quickly to the twins, who simply said "World as Myth." This seemed to satisfy her, and she turned back to face Cory.  
  
The red-headed man finally exploded. "And what gives you the right to order us around? From what I've been hearing, Miss Emerson, it looks as if none of these people would have been killed at all if it hadn't been for that rescue you needed. For what it's worth, we are going to try to see if we can do something about this new situation, but frankly, it doesn't look good. The last thing we need is someone like you telling us all what to do!"  
  
Cory stood there soundlessly for a few seconds, her jaw working itself up and down. Then she brought her leg up, violently, driving her boot into his unprotected groin before turning and running from the room. She had no idea how large the place was, she just needed to get away. Tears began streaming down her face.  
  
***  
  
Lazarus tried to take the blow as best he could, but he had been taken by surprise. He lay on the floor and attempted to recover. Hilda looked down at him with contempt.  
  
"Lazarus, sometimes I don't even know why I waste my breath on you."  
  
He tried to get his breath back and defend himself. "I don't have to take that sort of attitude from -- "  
  
He didn't get very far as Hilda leaned down close to him. "Why not? At least for the moment? She's just been removed from her own universe, against her will from what the twins have told me. She saw a space station explode, killing thousands, including a good friend of hers. Therefore, I think she has every right to be upset. _You_ have no right to be."  
  
He got himself upright again and attempted to explain. "If it hadn't been for that girl -- "  
  
This time it was Jubal that interrupted. "Then something else would have gone wrong. Lazarus, this is only the fifth mission we've ever attempted. All of the others have had massive complications. What makes you think that this one would be any different? Because it was Laz and Lor? That made the probability of disaster go _up_, not down." The twins squeaked, but Jubal ignored them. "We're all as frustrated as you are, Lazarus. But that Emerson girl didn't deserve what you gave her. I'd recommend an apology, but right now we need to figure out how much damage control we can actually _do_."  
  
Hilda nodded, then proceeded to ignore Lazarus. She turned to Ishtar and asked, "Are they all right?"  
  
Ishtar nodded. The Angels were still staring blankly at the wall. "I'd say they're still in shock. From what I can gather, this 'Mughi' meant a lot to them. I'll see if I can have them ready for you to question in twenty-four hours. Not before."  
  
"Fine," Hilda said. "In the meantime, Laz, Lor, I want you to tell us everything you know about these three. Do we have any sources we can use?"  
  
Laz and Lor nodded. By sources Hilda meant fictional stories and shows. Hilda tried not to bring up the 'realness' of anyone, since it was impossible to declare one universe more real than any other. "We've got a complete collection, Aunt Hilda. Um...in fact, we've modelled ourselves a bit after them."  
  
Lazarus' eyes widened. "God help us," he said.  
  
***  
  
Cory had been pushing her emotions aside for the past few hours. She'd been kidnapped, then rescued, then watched as a space station full of thousands blew up right in front of her, taking Mughi with it. Now to be suddenly told by someone she didn't even know that the whole thing could have been avoided if they'd just left her behind...all of Cory's pent-up frustration came out at once. She slumped down in the middle of the corridor and began to weep.  
  
After what seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes, Cory heard footsteps coming along the corridor. She looked up to see the small dark-haired woman looking down at her, smiling gently. Immediately Cory drew her knees up to her chest, in an unconscious defensive position. "So, are you here to interrogate me?"  
  
The other woman frowned. "Believe it or not, not all of us believe everything that Lazarus says. Hell, nine times out of ten we don't even listen to him. I heard Laz and Lor's report; it may have sounded as if it made you look bad, but it didn't."  
  
She shook her head and smiled. "Sorry, this mission is getting to all of us. Hilda Burroughs-Long. And you are...?"  
  
Cory looked distrustfully at the hand that was now being held out to her, but decided there was no reason to dislike this woman besides her general feelings of paranoia. "Cory Emerson."  
  
"Why don't we try to find someplace to talk? I can assure you, it will be a room devoid of Lazaruses."  
  
Cory couldn't help but smile at that, and allowed herself to be helped up. "I apologise for assaulting him, but...I've just had a bad day."  
  
"So it seems," Hilda said. They walked along the corridor into a huge room with a pool and sauna. With a shock, Cory realised that it was a bathroom. A really _big_ bathroom. "You people are rich, aren't you?"  
  
Hilda smiled. "We can afford to pamper ourselves a bit, yes. Do you want a soak, or would you rather just talk?"  
  
Cory wanted nothing more to sit in the tub for the rest of the evening, but she wasn't *that* comfortable around these people yet. "I'd prefer to talk. To start with, what's with that guy and why does he dislike me so much?"  
  
Hilda sighed. "You've just asked one of the hardest questions in the universe. That 'guy' is Lazarus Long, the oldest living human. You mentioned one of your friends knew who we are; did she say anything about us?"  
  
"Just that you were fictional. Seemed ridiculous enough that I didn't really think much about it. Kei can be a ditz at times..."  
  
Hilda interrupted. "In this case, though, she's probably correct. There are many universes out there, Cory. Millions. And most of them are...how shall I put this? Writers with a strong enough imagination, and a reader base to help that imagination thrive, can create 'worlds', though create is probably not the best term, where these characters exist. Such as Star Trek, or Barsoom. This is one of those worlds; so is yours."  
  
Cory looked up. "What?"  
  
Hilda frowned momentarily. "In _this_ universe, you and your friends are the fictional characters. As a matter of fact, I've got Laz and Lor combing through their archives to try and get as much information about you as we can. Don't worry, though, you won't see any of it. It can be uncomfortable enough to know that some people regard you as fiction without reading your words on a page."  
  
Cory's mouth was still open at this revelation. "So, are you saying that I'm not real?"  
  
Hilda shook her head. "You're as real as I am. Reality is a very fluid concept, Cory. Do you think you're real?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"Then why should I tell you differently?"  
  
Cory was getting confused. "But you just said that some writer wrote down things I've done."  
  
"Cory, World-As-Myth is a very new concept. There are parts of it even I don't understand. If you want answers to all of your questions, you should talk to Jubal; he's best at this sort of thing. But for now, trust me. You are as real as ever, no matter which universe you are in. If anything, _we_ control what gets written, not the other way around. Think of it as someone chronicling your life."  
  
Cory had finally gotten completely lost and decided to drop the subject. "Getting back to Lazarus..."  
  
"Yes. As I said, Lazarus is the oldest man alive...almost three thousand years old. That gives him experience and wisdom of several lifetimes, most of which he has put to good use. However, his basic character has remained the same...an overgrown hayseed who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut and thinks the world revolves around him. It doesn't help that there are a ton of men and women on this planet who practically worship him. Oh, Ish and the others will tell you differently, but when it comes down to a fight, they'll side with Lazarus."  
  
"But I'm not from the same universe as Lazarus, and I can see through most of his bullshit. Zeb and I have been trying to convince people that Lazarus is not God, but it's a slow process. Jubal tries to help, but since he's got several women worshipping _him_, it's not much good."  
  
"STOP!" Cory was getting a headache. "What you're saying is that this Lazarus guy is used to being deferred to."  
  
"Precisely," Hilda smiled. "And when you stepped on his toes, he decided to overreact. He does this sometimes, to gauge how much he can get away with."  
  
"So you're saying I should be nice to him?"  
  
Hilda shook her head. "That would be the worst thing you could do. Keep at him. Let him know that you will not accept the blame for this. It's nobody's fault, really...the twins were too inexperienced, as are we. This is only our fifth mission."  
  
Cory held her hand up. "Stop. Too much, too fast. I'll see if I can take your advice, but right now all I want to do is avoid him."  
  
Laughing, Hilda got up again. "That won't be easy. Right now, we need you to help us figure out what went wrong on that mission. Lazarus will be there. However, you don't have to speak to him."  
  
Cory moaned. "Whatever happened to sleep? And food?"  
  
"What are those?" Hilda asked, then giggled when Cory looked up sharply. "Don't worry. We can't do much anyway, as your friends are still recovering. All we need from you right now is a statement, and then you can sleep as long as you like."  
  
Cory grumbled. *When is this day going to eeeeend?*  
  
***  
  
Despite her need for rest, Cory stopped by the hospital to see how the Angels were doing. Unfortunately, things weren't much better there. Kei and Yuri had snapped out of their shock, though they still looked pale and haggard. Unfortunately, Laz and Lor weren't giving them much of a chance to rest, as the twins kept plying them with questions.  
  
Cory listened to this cacophony for a few seconds, then raised her voice. "KNOCK IT OFF!" she screamed. Startled, the four of them turned to look at her.  
  
Ishtar didn't seem to be around, so Cory realised that it fell to her to be the voice of reason. "Aren't you two supposed to be recovering?" she asked the Angels. Then, turning to Laz and Lor, she added, "And you two aren't helping. What is the problem here?"  
  
The twins were a little taken aback, but managed to explain. "We're trying to find out more about your pasts, and that of your universe," Lor explained.  
  
"The problem is, there's so many different continuities of the fiction and anime that we have that we aren't sure what to believe," Laz cut in.  
  
Cory stared at them, dumbfounded. "Why not try asking them?"  
  
"We were trying to do just that. But they aren't being very co-operative."  
  
For once, Yuri seemed to be the furious one. "Of course not! They waltz in here, with all this personal information on us, most of it being made-up LIES, and expect us to just take it in stride? Kei keeps going on about fictional universes, but I don't know what's up with that! Why are they trying to find out about us in the first place? What do they need to know?"  
  
Cory had just come from a gruelling debriefing, and thought that a chat with the Angels would make her headache go away. Instead, it had just gotten worse. She walked to the middle of the room and began to speak in a very tense voice.  
  
"They are trying to find out about you because they intend to go back and see if they can fix what went wrong. They want to stop the space station from blowing up. They want to stop all those people dying. They want to save Mughi. I would think, with all of that going for them, you could afford to tell them a little bit more about where you went to fucking grade school and what your favourite turn-ons are. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and try to sleep off this headache. Gonna be difficult, since between the four of you and Lazarus, I've got enough stress to make my head explode!"  
  
Her voice had been getting louder and louder, and she was screaming by the end of her speech. She spun on one heel and stalked out of the room and down the corridor.  
  
Unfortunately, the adrenaline rush didn't last long, and soon everything that had happened to her that day began to catch up to her. With a shock, she realised that she hadn't slept since before meeting up with the Angels on Pacifica. Furthermore, she had no idea where to go, since no one had bothered to mention accommodations to her.  
  
She started peeking into rooms, and in the third one she checked she found a nice empty room with a bed. She went in, collapsed on it, and immediately fell asleep.  
  
***  
  
Back in the Angels' room, Kei, Yuri, and the twins were still staring in astonishment at Cory's dramatic exit.  
  
Yuri finally broke herself out of her trance. "Um...I guess I should apologise. We didn't know what you were trying to do."  
  
Laz and Lor also looked embarrassed. "It's just...this was our first big legitimate mission. A chance to make good, and we totally screwed it up. We're trying to figure out what went wrong."  
  
Kei was curious. "So why are you questioning us?"  
  
Lor got a little nervous. "Well...despite your constant denial of blame, it can't be denied that a great deal of disastrous things happen when you two are around. We want to find out why. We're going back to try and fix what went wrong, and if you two come with us, we need to know how you operate and how much of a myth 'The Dirty Pair' really are."  
  
Both of the Angels growled at the use of the hated nickname, but seemed to acquiesce. "So what DO you need to know?" Kei asked.  
  
Unfortunately at this point, Ishtar walked in. "Good, you're up. Feeling all right?" Kei and Yuri nodded. "Fine," Ishtar continued, "then we'll move you to guest quarters. I don't like keeping patients in a hospital environment if they don't need it, and something tells me you two would be bad patients anyway."  
  
"Can we just clear up a few things first, Ish?" Lor asked.  
  
Ishtar nodded.  
  
"OK, now the presence of Cory tells me that we need to focus on the manga. Hmm...Ish, did you notice the amount of cyberware they have implanted in them?"  
  
Ishtar frowned. "Yes, I did. I regard it as unhealthy, but if they want it..." She turned back to the Angels. "I can remove it, if you'd like."  
  
Kei and Yuri both put their hands to their necks protectively. "Are you INSANE?!" Yuri yelled. "How could I possibly do all of my hacking without my cyberware? I've had it since I was little, for crying out loud!"  
  
"What's so bad about it anyway?" Kei asked.  
  
"Over-reliance on technology is always dangerous. You should at least learn how to work without them. I mean, for God's sake, the two of you have extensive intradermal communication in your skull for talking to each other mentally. Why not just use your telepathy?"  
  
Kei and Yuri looked at her for a moment, and then cracked up. "I can't believe we can still hook people in with that stuff," Kei said.  
  
Ishtar looked puzzled. "What?"  
  
"That was just a prank that Kei and I pulled at parties. We used it to get scouted into 3WA as well. We'd pretend to be psychically linking to each other's thoughts, but we'd just be scamming."  
  
Ishtar shook her head. "But you two _are_ psychic."  
  
Kei started to speak. "No, we told you, it was -- "  
  
"Look, I know what you think is the case, but trust me. Our facilities are many orders better than yours, and we can test for these things. I'm looking over your baseline readings. You two are psychic. Not a lot, admittedly. But even without testing, I'd guess the two of you should be able to link with each other quite easily."  
  
Kei and Yuri stared at Ishtar, their mouths hanging open. They had never even considered the possibility that they were genuinely psychic. In their universe, psychic powers were rare. You could augment your mind through cybernetics, of course, but that was artificial. _Genuine_ psychic talent was unheard of. It was the reason that they'd been able to join the 3WA.  
  
Yuri finally found her voice. "You mean...it was all _true_?"  
  
"Well," Laz interrupted, "you two were able to pull off that psychic 'trick' with ease, even among trained 3WA professionals. Probably your real abilities coming through. And you do seem empathic towards each other, almost to the point of a mindlink. How good are those psychic tests that the 3WA made you take?"  
  
"They weren't good at all," Kei said. "I mean, psychic ability is a myth. It's like something out of science fiction..." She paused mid-sentence, realising that they were in exactly that myth right now.  
  
"I think the reason you haven't realised it until now is that your cyberware has pretty much taken over the task," Lor said. "I'm reading some of your history, and you rely on it extensively, especially you, Yuri. You haven't noticed your psychic abilities because you haven't really needed to develop them. If you like, we can run you through some tests, to see if we can awaken them."  
  
Kei and Yuri looked at each other. The idea of real psychic powers was seductive, but they didn't really know what the consequences would be. "Would this affect our ability to be trouble consultants?" Yuri asked.  
  
Laz and Lor nodded. "You bet," Laz replied. "It might make you almost twice as effective."  
  
The Angels' eyes bugged out. "You're on!" they chorused.  
  
Ishtar nodded. "I'll get together with Tamara and Minerva to see what we can do." A little voice inside her was saying that this might not be a wise idea, but it couldn't make itself heard.  
  
***  
  
Kei and Yuri spent the last twenty-four hours attempting to awaken these powers they didn't even know they possessed. At first, they thought they'd succeeded immediately, but Minerva, a young woman with long dark-brown hair, had told them that that was their cyberware attempting to respond to their mental commands. She let them know that if they established psychic contact with each other, it would feel totally different, and they'd know it instantly. "Believe me," she'd said cryptically, "I know the difference between computer linkups and genuine psychic powers."  
  
About six and a half hours later, it happened. Kei suddenly felt as if a warm wave had passed through her body, and suddenly, she could sense Yuri's presence. No, more than just sense. Yuri's feelings, emotions, and thoughts were laid open to her. She also knew that Yuri was experiencing the same things. For a moment she felt a twinge of jealousy, but then relaxed as she came to understand the closeness that the two felt.  
  
They had always been best friends, but had never truly realised what that meant. Kei cried as she saw the extent of Yuri's trust and friendship, and knew that she felt the same way. They felt their minds begin to twine together, and let it happen, lost in a total state of ecstasy...  
  
Which is why it was such a shock to the system when Minerva slapped Kei in the face, snapping her out of her reverie. "Kei, do you hear me? Do you know who you are?"  
  
Kei blinked, and almost began to cry again. "Why did you do that? I was..."  
  
Minerva held Kei's face in her hands. "You were about to lose yourself. I could tell that you and your friend had discovered what you were looking for, but you were going too far. You could have ended up unable to cope with being alone in your own mind again."  
  
Kei felt unable to cope as it was. She felt a gaping hole in her mind where Yuri had been. Gazing over to her partner, she could see a lost look in Yuri's eyes, and knew it mirrored her own.  
  
Minerva smiled. "The two of you seem to be incredibly empathic, which is why you feel so poorly. The comfort of knowing your friend's thoughts and feelings is very seductive. The key is to know yourself, so that you can use those feelings without becoming overwhelmed by them. Now, let's try again. I will try to guide you this time. We didn't know the shape your powers would take at first, so I remained outside. But empathy is definitely something I can help you with. If you will let me."  
  
Kei knew that she would do anything to experience that feeling again. She nodded.  
  
For the rest of the day and into the night, Minerva showed them how to control their empathic abilities. It was incredibly difficult. They managed to transmit sentences and thoughts to each other telepathically, but these were also cluttered with feelings and impressions. It was difficult to concentrate, as the feel of each other in their minds was an entirely new experience. Eventually Minerva sighed and called a halt for the night.  
  
"This is proving to be more difficult than it should. _Something_ is blocking you two, making this harder. I suspect it's nothing more than your own subconscious. You are going to be working as a team, but not with one mind. You need to use your abilities independently."  
  
She paused. "I want you to sleep together tonight," she suddenly said.  
  
Kei and Yuri yelped. "Listen," Yuri said, "I don't know what kind of rumours anyone's been telling you, but we are _not_ _GAY_!!!"  
  
Minerva blinked. "Oh, I didn't mean sex, though it wouldn't bother anyone here if you did. In the Long family, we're almost all bisexual. No, I just meant sleeping in the same bed, being close to each other. You've reached the point where your mind's defences will prevent another control loss such as you suffered earlier, and your unconscious minds may end up succeeding where your conscious ones do not."  
  
Kei and Yuri blushed, but reluctantly agreed.  
  
As they prepared for bed, they avoided each other's gazes, even though they'd spent most of the evening in close mental contact. Finally they settled down and lay on the bed, but sleep eluded them.  
  
"You awake, Yuri?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"What are you thinking about?"  
  
"About Mughi...and that case that blew up in our faces...and whether these people are telling the truth...and how much we can trust them...and about the way that Cory's been acting very weird since arriving here."  
  
Kei blinked. "That's a lot to think about."  
  
Yuri laughed softly. "That's what I _should_ be thinking about. I try to get my mind to think about those things. But I can't. I keep thinking about you."  
  
Kei smiled. "Yeah, me too."  
  
"Well, of course. I mean, you always think about yourself..."  
  
"That's not what I meant!" Kei sniped. The sound of Yuri's giggling kept her from being too mad, though. Anyway, she was finding it difficult to argue with Yuri anymore at all. She knew her too well.  
  
There was a long pause, then Yuri spoke up again. "Kei, there was...there was so much about you that I never knew. You were always my best friend, but...I never knew you were so complicated."  
  
Kei felt a warm glow in her chest. "Serves you right for underestimating me," she laughed, but inside she was revelling in Yuri's words. "It was the same for me, you know. I found out so many things about your life, about your hopes and feelings."  
  
"Feelings." Yuri picked up on the word. "That's what's keeping me up. How did it feel to you when we finally linked minds?"  
  
Kei took her time before answering. There were no secrets between them anymore, but she still clung to old privacy habits. "It was incredible. I mean, how do you describe it? It was like firing my first gun, eating my first cheesecake, my first orgasm...it was the best thing that's ever happened to me in my life."  
  
Yuri turned, so that her face was right up close to Kei's. "Kei... do you think we can handle being that close? Knowing that much about each other?"  
  
Kei frowned. Yuri was afraid, for some reason. Kei could sense that all of her mental shields were up. What was the problem? "Yuri, what is it?"  
  
Yuri shifted, until her face was almost touching Kei's. "Kei, I love you."  
  
Kei blinked. That had not exactly been the revelation she'd been expecting. "And?"  
  
"And I don't know what to do about it!" Yuri suddenly got up and stomped across the floor. "I could deal with friendship, even close friendship, but..."  
  
Kei could see that Yuri was starting to panic. She was still puzzled by her actions. "Yuri, I love you too. I mean, we both saw into each other's heads..."  
  
Yuri was shaking. "But I'm not a lesbian! I like men! I thought that every time I denied it, I was telling the truth."  
  
Now suddenly, it all became clear for Kei. Yuri wasn't upset by what she saw in Kei's mind. It was what she saw in her own that bothered her. Kei got up and walked over to Yuri, putting her arms around her shoulders. Yuri began to shiver, but Kei stopped her by hugging her harder.  
  
"Yuri, why does this bother you so much? We love each other. Doesn't mean it's a sexual love. I like guys, so do you. I just know that I would give my life for you. I know that you are the one I can tell my closest problems to. I know that living a life without you in it would be hollow and worthless. I know that you and I are so close now, we almost have the same soul."  
  
Yuri was still unconvinced. "I mean, I find you attractive!"  
  
"Damn straight, girl. I'm quite the beauty, and don't you forget it." That made Yuri laugh.  
  
Kei then turned serious again. "Yuri, you're gorgeous. I know that. Answer me this: do you want to have sex with me?"  
  
For almost five minutes, there was not a sound in the room. Finally, Yuri said, "No, I don't."  
  
"Then we don't. Just know that we love each other, and are closer than we've ever been. That's enough. Love doesn't have to be that way."  
  
Yuri smiled, then got up and hugged her partner, properly this time. "I knew there was a reason you were the emotional hothead."  
  
Kei frowned momentarily, and Yuri giggled again.  
  
They both got back into bed, and Kei began to drop off. Just before she fell asleep, she heard Yuri again. "Kei?"  
  
"Nnngh?"  
  
"If I had said yes...what would you have done?"  
  
Kei smiled. "Ask me again sometime and you'll find out."  
  
And with that, Kei dropped off to sleep. It took a few more minutes for Yuri to fall asleep, though.  
  
***  
  
The preparations for a return to Cory and the Angel's universe were a lot more complex this time around. The three of them had been ruthlessly quizzed on the background for their case, including the business and personal history (what little was known) of both Lawson and Mizuno, as well as the Bureaucratic Watchdog Office. Yuri related the information she'd discovered in the stations' computer banks. With this in hand, Laz, Lor, and the Angels began to devise a better (they hoped) plan of attack.  
  
Cory found herself once again superfluous. Lazarus was present at all the meetings, and never let one go by without a little jab at her. Cory tried to match him in verbal repartee, but to her it just ended up sounding whiny.  
  
She hadn't been especially pleased upon meeting the Long extended family, either. For God's sake, even the ones that *weren't* built like an hourglass were absolutely drop dead gorgeous. Plus there was their habit of running around naked at times, as if it was a normal occurrence. This included the men, who all appeared to be hung like horses. BIG horses.  
  
Now, Cory knew that her body wasn't all that bad, but it was not supermodel quality. She could stand to lose a few pounds here and there...and GAIN a few in certain places. Her self-esteem, already thrown off by running around with the Angels, whose breasts were the stuff of legend, had plummeted.  
  
As a result, her mood had soured to the point where all she wanted to do now was stomp around the corridors and growl at people. And that's exactly what she was doing.  
  
Her growling was interrupted by recognisable cries coming from a nearby park area. Veering off, she peered over the edge of a nearby bush. What she saw made her gasp in astonishment.  
  
Kei and Yuri hadn't really been talking to her much lately, but that was mostly due to their new training, as well as their new mindset. They were together _constantly_, and not just in the same room. They seemed to be constantly touching each other, or making any form of contact they possibly could. They were also more relaxed and happier than Cory had ever seen them.  
  
She'd known they were top 3WA agents, and had seen them prove it. But they looked like rookies compared to what she was seeing now. The two of them moved as one person, quickly taking out any targets that they saw. Anticipating this, Hilda, who was conducting the training, set up obstacles to split them up. The split did not seem to impact their efficiency, as they took out the enemies just as quickly.  
  
Cory was stunned. With their new-found psychic abilities, and the training they were receiving from Hilda, they could waste almost anything out there. The universe had better watch out when they got back...  
  
Turning back to her walk, she didn't notice Kei and Yuri immediately reunite after the test, and putting their hands on each other's shoulders...  
  
***  
  
The mission was turning out to be a breeze. Cory was back on the Dora, well-hidden in case anyone had prying sensors, but Kei and Lor were both carrying intradermal cameras, so Cory had a perfect view of what was happening.  
  
The plan was to watch Cory's earlier self be kidnapped, and follow them (while not interfering with the kidnapping, of course). They would then follow one of the kidnappers back to his group, and wrap things up from there. This would prevent the bombing, and all would be well.  
  
If there was a disaster, they had Gay Deceiver standing by as a backup. Gay could, if necessary, home in on their signal and bring them aboard, thus giving them more time to disarm the Watchdog troops and make sure the bomb was not a problem.  
  
This gave Cory a fine view for when things went completely and utterly wrong.  
  
It started off perfectly. They'd found the suite that the BWO was using as a base, and staked it out. After a few hours, Kei saw the guard they'd seduced when they rescued Cory run into the room, and she nodded to the others. They'd gone soundlessly to the entrance, shot down the door, and moved in.  
  
Their luck continued to hold as there were only about ten people in the room, and none of them were armed. Presented with four women with bikinis and guns, most of them decided to come quietly.  
  
The problems began when Kei questioned them about the bomb.  
  
The presumed leader (he was the one the others deferred to) blinked. "Bomb?" he asked, puzzled.  
  
Kei got upset. "Don't play dumb with me, asshole! We know that this place is going to go boom in a few minutes, and we know that it's you guys that do it!"  
  
To her surprise, the man went white as a sheet. Turning to an assistant, he yelled, "I thought you checked out Loader before we left!"  
  
The girl seemed just as scared. "I did! He was clean! There's no way -- "  
  
Yuri interrupted. "There's someone who isn't here?" she asked slowly.  
  
The man nodded furiously. "We managed to plant someone in Lawson Enterprises. Mike Loader, one of our best men. But he's been getting weird lately. We probably should have pulled him out but that would have aroused suspicion!"  
  
Yuri pressed her gun to his chin. "Where is he now?"  
  
The man panicked. "Ahhh! Um, he should be with Lawson! If his last report was right..."  
  
Yuri didn't wait for him to finish, she just took off like a shot, headed down the corridor.  
  
Cory's jaw dropped in amazement. What the hell did she think she was doing? There were only a few minutes left.  
  
Kei evidently thought the same thing, as she took off after her partner.  
  
Lor yelled out so that Cory could hear it. "Cory, take Dora and go! We'll follow in Gay Deceiver!"  
  
Cory thought about arguing, but before she could do anything, Dora had already obeyed the command, and she saw the landing bay at Boondock outside the front viewscreen.  
  
She leaped out the door, and ran to get the others. That was the reason she ended up colliding with Lazarus coming in the other direction, and both of them crumpling to the floor in a heap.  
  
Cory was too panicked at the moment to be annoyed. She turned to Jubal. "Something went wrong! We picked the wrong target, and now Kei and Yuri have gone after him, but there's no time, and -- "  
  
Jubal placed a hand on her shoulder. "Cory, calm down and tell us exactly what happened."  
  
Cory didn't need to, for at that moment, Gay Deceiver arrived right next to Dora. The door opened, and Hilda's voice could be heard. "Get Ishtar in here, pronto! Medical emergency! We have severe brain trauma and mental breakdown! Get Tamara as well!"  
  
Cory ran over to the door, where she saw Hilda, Laz and Lor gathered around a shape on the floor. With a sick feeling, Cory realised that it was Kei. She was convulsing wildly and her face looked wrong, with half of it pale white and the other half speckled with red.  
  
"My God," Cory exclaimed. "Who did that to her?"  
  
Lor looked up, tears running down her cheeks. "Yuri did. We couldn't get to her in time, and she was on the station when it blew up. This is all a result of the psychic feedback that blew through Kei's mind when she felt Yuri's death."  
  
Cory paled, but that was nothing compared to the shock of Hilda's next two sentences.  
  
"We're worried she may not ever recover mentally. It doesn't look good."  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Cory shivered as the memories of that day flooded back. That had been one of the worst days of her life. She began to regret coming up here alone, and wished there was someone she could talk to about this.  
  
"Miss Emerson?"  
  
*Well, I walked right into that one,* Cory mused. She turned, and saw Lazarus standing by the door.  
  
They were in Dora, headed for Pacifica in her own universe. The Circle of Ouroboros had seen fit to partner her with Lazarus, for reasons she didn't even pretend to understand. They were trying to see if they could gather more information on Jimmy. In addition, Kei and Yuri had pleaded with the Circle to see if they could rescue a few friends of theirs. Lazarus had balked, but the list turned out to be surprisingly small. The Angels didn't really make friends among their fellow agents, since most didn't see past their reputation. Lazarus finally relented after seeing Kei's eyes begin to brim with tears. Hilda explained privately afterwards that Lazarus could not resist a crying female.  
  
Cory was beginning to wonder whether something was wrong with Lazarus. He continued to avoid speaking to her when he could, a far cry from the Lazarus she knew, who delighted in belittling her.  
  
She turned to look at him, and almost laughed out loud. His expression reminded her of a wounded puppy. It was so different from the face he usually wore around her that she barely recognised him.  
  
"Yes?" she asked.  
  
"I thought we could go over our plan of attack. You still don't have much experience in covert operations..."  
  
Cory thought about getting angry, but decided she was too depressed. She nodded. "Kei and Yuri get their friends, Minerva and Deirdre check out the Central Computer, and you and I see if we can spy on Jimmy."  
  
She noted Lazarus' look again and decided to stop torturing him. "Look, you want to talk to me, talk. I promise to try to listen to you without going nuts."  
  
He sat down in the chair next to her. "I want to call a truce."  
  
Cory narrowed her eyes. "Why?"  
  
He shrugged. "Partly as we're going into what is essentially a war zone. If we get caught, or if something unexpected happens, I want you to know that you can trust me."  
  
Cory nodded. "And you want to know if you can trust _me_."  
  
"That too."  
  
"I won't give you any trouble. You know more about this than I do. Just try not to belittle me too much while we're out there, and we should be fine."  
  
"Miss Emerson..."  
  
"We're partners, call me Cory. Yes, I know you've been nice to me lately. But it's not going to immediately make up for your being nasty to me for so long. Keep it up, and I'll come around. I promise."  
  
He frowned. "I don't know if I like those arrangements..."  
  
She grinned at him. "Tough. I'm going to act like a spoiled brat on this one, because I feel it's the only treatment you'll understand."  
  
"You've been talking to Hilda."  
  
"It shows, huh?"  
  
"Very much. Shall we get on to talking about our plan of attack?"  
  
Cory stretched out like a cat. She'd won, and it made her feel much better. She could feel the depression lift right off of her, and she actually smiled at Lazarus. "Why don't we do that?"  
  
***  
  
Jamie sighed as she headed back to her room. She was so tired, she didn't even think she'd bother to shower and change. She just wanted to lie on her bed and sleep for a thousand years.  
  
She'd been feeling that way more often lately. When she had first started with the 3WA, it had been a life of excitement and adventure, just like the anime. She'd gone on several missions with the Lovely Angels, and blown lots of stuff up. It had been, quite literally, a blast.  
  
But recently things hadn't been the same. She'd been suddenly reassigned, and when she had asked Kei and Yuri why, they'd been very evasive. After that, they seemed to avoid her. That depressed Jamie much more than she cared to admit. Kei and Yuri had been very close to her, and Jamie was wondering how she had offended them.  
  
Then she began to hear the stories of the Angels' latest missions. The casualties had gone up by orders of magnitude. Jamie hadn't believed it at first, but someone on the inside showed her the mission logs. They were not pleasant. There were many, many deaths that could have been easily avoided.  
  
She had confronted them about it one night. They acted as if they were uncomfortable around her, and drew the conversation to a close quickly. Moreover, they didn't seem to feel bad about what they had done -- or even what had happened around them. She remembered nights when she would hold Kei and Yuri tightly, comforting them as they related the newest atrocities that could not be avoided on their missions.  
  
But they were totally different now. Soulless. Jamie eventually decided that they had finally given up. Too much death in too short a time, and all of it blamed on them. They had shut themselves off from the pain, and got on with their lives. At the cost, it would appear, of their humanity.  
  
There were other things that weighed on Jamie's mind too. Their new boss, Jimmy Daltrey, was another cause of her distress. *Now there's a used-car salesman if ever there was one. Zen trusts him as far as Zen can throw him...aaargh, Zen is doing it again.*  
  
Jamie tended sometimes to talk in the third person, when she was excited or wanted to be cute. But lately she had found herself thinking that way far more often...and that was dangerous. If she stopped thinking of herself in the first person, it would be the first step on the road Kei and Yuri had taken.  
  
But what other options were there? The 3WA's retirement policy had gotten incredibly strict lately, especially with the number of agent deaths recently. Jamie was simply too valuable a resource for the Central Computer to consider letting go...especially as the CC was one of the few entities in this universe who _knew_ Jamie's past.  
  
Jamie entered her room and sighed. She didn't want to think about things like this when she was tired, it was a good way to get suicidal. All she needed was a good night's sleep, and she could think more clearly in the morning.  
  
She looked at the sink, contemplating a nice steamy shower to relax. But that would mean changing, and she didn't even have the energy for that. She crashed face-down on the bed, and sighed. A tear fell from her eye.  
  
"Where are you now that I need you? Dammit, I'm the one who needs the shoulder to cry on now."  
  
"Ask and ye shall receive," said a quiet voice from above her head.  
  
Jamie rolled over, and found herself looking into the grinning face of Kei. More to the point, even though Kei was smiling, there was also a tear in her eye.  
  
She turned, and saw Yuri beside the bed...with a hypo. "Zen-chan, we'll explain everything. It'll be all right. I promise."  
  
And with that, she stabbed the spray into Jamie's arm. Everything grew blissfully black.  
  
***  
  
Asuka was sitting in a corner, having nothing to do at the moment but try to watch Rei tap the Central Computer for information. Asuka had thought that the task would be impossible, but Rei told her that she had gotten 'special knowledge' that would help.  
  
It did seem to be helping. Rei was tearing through the system, gathering more and more on Shasti and her past. Bast may have been a jerk about it, but he was right about one thing: Jimmy had lied to them about a great deal of this case. According to the records they had salvaged, Shasti had been one of the Agency's top agents for a couple of years. More importantly, she hadn't decided to turn on her own people and murder them. She had uploaded a copy of the mind of a psychotic criminal into her own head in order to facilitate his capture. Unfortunately, the criminal's psyche had infected her own wetware, and caused her to lose her mind. She had killed her partner, Deirdre, and seriously injured the Lovely Angels, then rookies on one of their first cases.  
  
The final piece of information Rei had uncovered was the most telling. It was a report from Dr. Ritsuko Akagi to the then head of 3WA, a Mr. Ayoob. It stated that the most likely reason for Shasti's breakdown was a flaw in her design. Further, Dr. Akagi had made cryptic statements that 'the other project' should also be watched closely, and not be given any opportunities to advance.  
  
Other project? Asuka had hoped that this search of the Computer's system would answer their questions; instead, it just gave them more without having cleared up anything.  
  
Talking with the Pair hadn't helped. Asuka had taken great pains to be nice to them in an effort to get some answers. But they ignored her questions, instead going on about how they were going to go out and get bombed, then try to pick up some men. Asuka wasn't the most dedicated agent in the world, but even she had been disgusted by their behaviour. These weren't the Lovely Angels that stories were told about; the ones who solved every case, no matter how difficult. They were the subject of the _other_ stories; the stories about the agents who brought death and destruction. The Dirty Pair. From what Asuka had seen, the name fit.  
  
Rei straightened up. Asuka wouldn't have noticed if it were anyone else, but she was training herself to respond to Rei's body language, since she showed so little emotion. Rei straightening up was the equivalent of a loud gasp from anyone else.  
  
"What's the matter?" she asked.  
  
"There's someone else trying to break into the system." Rei replied. There was a trace of something in her voice, a tightness that wasn't usually there. Asuka wanted to see if she could bring that out a little. Unfortunately, now was not the time. "See if you can trace them."  
  
"Of course," Rei replied. Her face went slack as she devoted all of her concentration to locating the intruder.  
  
Asuka tried again to uplink to the Central Computer to see what was happening, but she had no more success than before. She was a pretty good hacker; it was another one of those subjects that, after four years of training, she'd managed to excel in. But this wasn't just any computer. The Central Computer was sentient, and therefore hacking into it was dangerous at best, lethal at worst.  
  
Rei had merely watched Asuka get frustrated for a few minutes, then stepped over and inserted a cyberjack. Within seconds, she'd managed to uplink and started finding the information they needed. Asuka didn't know whether to be impressed or disturbed at that.  
  
Now she was once again left out, watching while Rei remained motionless, attempting to draw out their opponent...  
  
***  
  
Minerva winced, and disconnected herself from the computer. "I was spotted."  
  
Deirdre raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said that no one would be able to catch you?"  
  
"No one should have been," Minerva replied, frowning slightly. "At first I thought that the computer itself was fighting me, but it was definitely an organic brain that I felt. Perhaps..."  
  
"Perhaps what?"  
  
Minerva shook her head. "Perhaps we should get out of here. They'll be raising an alert soon."  
  
Deirdre noticed Minerva's attempt to change the subject, but said nothing about it. "I'll have Gay arrange to pick up Kei and Yuri as well. I hope they managed to find everyone they needed..."  
  
***  
  
Asuka was beginning to get concerned. Rei had not moved for over five minutes. Asuka wondered if perhaps the intruder had done something to her.  
  
"Rei? Can you hear me?"  
  
Rei's eyes fluttered and then opened. For just a second, they seemed to show anger and revulsion. Asuka rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. By the time she looked back, Rei was favouring her with her usual blank stare.  
  
Rei stood up. "We have to split up."  
  
Asuka blinked. "What?"  
  
"There are some things that need to be done before we can go on. I've fixed the Central Computer; you should be able to hack into it with no problems now."  
  
Asuka was a little confused. "I don't understand. Why do we need to split up? We're partners."  
  
Rei turned to Asuka. "I cannot ask you to do this. Please." For a moment, Rei smiled again.  
  
Asuka wanted to argue, but felt herself wilting. After all, Rei had just smiled again of her own accord. That had to be Asuka's influence on her. So at least some good was coming out of this mission.  
  
Rei got out a datapadd. "This is the area you want to check. Access these files. They should tell you what we need to know. I should be back by the time you're done."  
  
Asuka was beginning to get a little annoyed at being railroaded into this. "Hey!" she snapped. "Who's supposed to be the leader of this team, anyway?"  
  
Rei paused. "Asuka, if you let me do this, afterwards I promise to follow every order you give me."  
  
And with that she ran out of the room.  
  
Asuka stared after her. What the hell had just happened? Rei had seemed different back there, more...driven. It suddenly hit Asuka. That was why Rei had been so passive all this time. She'd had no purpose. The mission itself hadn't been enough for her, she'd needed to achieve things. This was something that Asuka could understand. She too felt a need to go beyond what was needed to complete the mission, to tie up loose ends and find the real truth.  
  
She suddenly felt a lot better about their partnership. *All right, partner,* she thought. *Let's see what you saw in there that got you all het up.*  
  
Asuka inserted the cyberjack to begin downloading the information. This time, there was no resistance - her eyes glazed as her mind made the link to the Central Computer...  
  
***  
  
They crept slowly along the corridor, desperately trying to keep their breathing under control. Only one thing was on their minds; getting to the living quarters, collecting Rachel, and getting OUT. Anywhere, it didn't matter. They just had to get away from the living nightmare that 3WA headquarters had become.  
  
It hadn't always been this way. They had both chosen to become 3WA agents for altruistic reasons, and passed through the training in record time. Separately, they were two of the top agents for the organisation.  
  
Then, fate moved to thrust them together. Jamie's partner was killed on a difficult espionage mission, and reassigning him proved difficult. Bridget had gotten pregnant, and the 3WA decided to reassign her partner in the interim.  
  
Both of them were stuck at 3WA headquarters with nothing much to do. They got to chatting, and eventually fell in love.  
  
This proved difficult within an organisation like 3WA, which frowned strongly on inter-agent relations. Luckily, they had a few friends within the agency. They managed to get themselves assigned as partners, effective right after Bridget recovered from her pregnancy, without arousing too much suspicion. Bridget had a beautiful girl, whom she named Rachel. As for Jamie and Bridget, they rose once again to the top of the 3WA agents list, where they remained for two more years.  
  
Then things started to fall apart. More and more of the assignments that were given to them were of a...questionable nature. 3WA had always been a troubleshooting organisation, but they'd never sunk to terrorism, and many of these assignments smacked of that sort of thing. A few of their friends agreed.  
  
Their own little group began to dissolve. Kei and Yuri seemed to have snapped, and were walking around acting like bimbonic company shills. Zen (or 'the other Jamie', as Bridget called her) retreated further into her own thoughts, eventually shutting everyone else out.  
  
Finally Jamie and Bridget had had enough. There just wasn't any reason to continue. They went to the head of 3WA, Jimmy Daltrey, and handed in their resignations. Unfortunately, this had proved to be the biggest mistake of all. Jimmy had looked at them coldly and informed them that it wasn't feasible for the 3WA to accept their resignations at this time, and that they would be notified should that change.  
  
From that moment on they had been watched by very skilled agents. If Jamie and Bridget hadn't already been incredibly paranoid, they would never have noticed.  
  
An hour ago, in desperation, they had turned to the one friend they thought they had left; Bridget's old partner, Maya Ibuki. They had remained close even after Maya had been reassigned. Maya had been the one friend that had stayed with them when things had fallen apart, the one person they could count on. They had called Maya, told her they would meet her at the clinic, collect Rachel, and leave. Maya had agreed.  
  
They had gotten to the clinic, only to be confronted with the final nightmare: Maya, sneering at them, all traces of warmth or friendship missing from her face. There were also five other 3WA agents in the room, all carrying weapons.   
  
"Did you really think you'd be able to get away?" Maya had asked them. Jamie and Bridget bolted out of the room, then heard the sounds of shouting and pursuit right behind them.  
  
Now they were moving as quickly and silently as they could along an abandoned corridor, trying to find an alternate route back to their quarters. They knew that would be the first place checked, but Rachel's safety was far more important than their own.  
  
Bridget was dealing with her fear and panic by converting it into anger. She still could not believe that an organisation, one that she had felt was one of the best in the galaxy, that could solve any problem thrown at it, could grow so corrupt. She ran along the corridor, her face twisted in rage.  
  
Jamie was far more circumspect, though no less angry. As usual, he let Bridget show the anger for both of them while he tried to think of a way that they could possibly get out of there with their daughter and their lives.  
  
Suddenly both of them were stopped by a figure in the corridor. It was Maya. Her face still held that sneer they had seen earlier, but now there was a note of triumph there as well.  
  
"Did you think you were going somewhere? I wouldn't bother if I were you. Your little grub has already been dealt with."  
  
Bridget let out an incoherent cry of anguish and jumped forward. Maya smiled and raised her gun. Jamie tried to stop her, but knew it was already too late...  
  
And then suddenly Maya's head vanished, disintegrating in a plasma beam. Her corpse fell to the floor. Jamie and Bridget look up, stunned.  
  
Kei was standing in front of them, tears in her eyes, looking down at the woman she'd just killed. She looked to be on the verge of sobbing.  
  
"Maya too," she said. "Gods, when is this gonna stop? How many more friends do we have to kill?"  
  
She was interrupted by Bridget, who, seeing only another former friend she could no longer trust, was attempting to wrestle the gun from her. They began to struggle. Kei tried to explain herself, but was prevented by Bridget's hands around her windpipe. Jamie went over to try and dissuade his wife, but wasn't trying too hard because he wasn't all that sure of Kei's intentions either.  
  
Suddenly there was another figure, pressing a bundle into Bridget's arms...  
  
Bridget looked down and saw the small figure of her daughter, wiping sleep out of her eyes and looking up at her. Suddenly everything else seemed to vanish. Bridget picked up her daughter and hugged her to her chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Seeing her mother so upset caused Rachel to start crying as well, which only fuelled Bridget's tears.  
  
Jamie looked up and saw Yuri looking down at them sympathetically. It was the first sympathetic look he'd seen from her in over a year, and it momentarily threw him for a loop.  
  
Yuri put her hands on his shoulder. "We don't have much time. I know you don't trust us, but please, if you valued our friendship at all, come with us now. We promise that no harm will come to you."  
  
Jamie looked at her doubtfully. He then looked at Kei, who was rubbing her neck. She still had tears in her eyes.  
  
Yuri tried again. "Please. We have to go."  
  
Jamie put his arms around his wife and their child, and finally made his decision. "All right." It was a decision made more from exhaustion and fear than from trust, but they were just too tired to fight anymore.  
  
Yuri then spoke up. "Gay, come find me." Instantly a circular door appeared in the wall right next to them. Kei tried to get Bridget and Rachel to stand, but Bridget refused to move, clutching Rachel to her. Kei looked up at Jamie pleadingly.  
  
Jamie leaned down to whisper in his wife's ear. "C'mon, B-ko. It's okay. We're going to be safe." He then gently got her to her feet and led her through the door, holding Rachel up as she had fallen asleep once more.  
  
Kei and Yuri heard the sounds of feet in the distance, and sighed.  
  
"Only three," Kei said.  
  
"Judging from what we've seen, I think it was as much as we could have hoped for," Yuri mused.  
  
Depressed, they both went through the portal, which immediately vanished. A moment later, three agents came round the corner, but the only sign of a struggle was the headless corpse of Maya Ibuki in the middle of the corridor.  
  
***  
  
It was a subdued and pensive group that returned to Boondock. Kei and Yuri were carrying Zen between them, giving her concerned glances. Jamie and Bridget were walking on their own, with Rachel still in Bridget's arms, but they both looked too numb to even respond. A meek Deirdre and Minerva brought up the rear.  
  
Ishtar's first concern was for her patients. "Let's get everyone to a bed for now. We'll worry about surgery later."  
  
Kei looked up. "Is that wise, Ishtar? You remember what we -- "  
  
Ishtar cut her off. "Your arrival took us completely by surprise, and we were unprepared for what you might do. We've now had a chance to study the implants, and won't get caught off guard if any sleeper programs activate." She looked at the new arrivals. "Right now I think that any viruses in their wetware will be the least of our problems. I want one of you with each of them. Yuri, you go with the family. Kei, can you manage your other friend?"  
  
Kei nodded, and Yuri shifted Zen's weight onto her partner. She went over to Jamie and Bridget, and smiled at them. Jamie merely regarded her coldly, and Bridget flinched. The smile disappeared from Yuri's face, and with a sad voice she said, "Let's get you settled in. I promise, it'll be alright."  
  
They showed no further reaction, and Yuri sighed as she led them out of the room.  
  
Hilda, Minerva, and Deirdre had been involved in a quiet conversation while this was going on, with the two bringing Hilda up to date on what had transpired at 3WA headquarters. No one mentioned Lazarus or Cory, so Hilda decided to ask directly. "Where are they?"  
  
Deirdre looked nervous. "We didn't dare try to contact them...they were right outside Jimmy's office. How much experience does Lazarus have in these types of missions?"  
  
Hilda snorted. "Oh, he has a lot of experience...but he's still not very good at them. He has a tendency to get his butt shot off. Right now, though, I'm more worried about Cory, who does _not_ possess Lazarus' phenomenal luck. It was a mistake to allow Cory on this mission in the first place. I want you to get back in there and pick those two up. I don't care if they've just found proof that Jimmy is Elvis' clone, get them back. From what you've told me, things are getting _bad_ there."   
  
Minerva shrugged. "Lazarus viewed Cory's inclusion as the perfect chance to ingratiate himself with her."  
  
"Lazarus is a fool. He's trying too hard and this latest attempt probably won't accomplish much more than annoying her all over again. I should have said no, but unfortunately, he can still get his own way on occasion. One thing is for sure: she will NOT be in the final operation. Now get going."  
  
Deirdre and Minerva nodded and ran back to Gay Deceiver.  
  
***  
  
Ishtar followed as Kei set Jamie down on a bed. The girl was still unconscious, and Kei was beginning to get concerned. Ishtar, of course, was all business.  
  
"Anything special we should know about this woman?"  
  
That did manage to elicit a giggle from Kei. "Zen is a guy."  
  
Ishtar looked down at the buxom redhead lying on the bed. "Kei, what happened to you while you were there?" she asked concernedly.  
  
Kei realised how her statement would have sounded. "Oh, she's female right now. In fact, she spends most of her time female, as a matter of convenience. But she was born male."  
  
Ishtar raised an eyebrow, and nodded for Kei to continue. Kei sighed.  
  
"I can give you his history later. All you need to know is that steam turns her male, and a splash of water turns him female. I don't understand it much myself."  
  
Despite severe doubts as to the truth of Kei's story, Ishtar decided to let it go and concentrate on the patient before her. She began to study her vital signs, and she did not find the results pleasing.  
  
Kei did not notice Ishtar's frown. "We gave Zen-chan a little sedative, to make it easier for us to get out without too much fuss. She should be alright soon."  
  
Ishtar was still frowning. "Well, she's coming round, but I sincerely doubt she'll be alright."  
  
Kei wasn't really listening. Jamie's eyes slowly opened, and Kei grinned down at her. "Hi, Zen-chan. Nice to see you again."  
  
She began to realise things weren't quite right when Jamie looked up at her. Kei could see the pupils in her friend's eyes dilating and contracting as Jamie tried, unsuccessfully, to focus. After a few moments, Jamie spoke.  
  
"It's really you, isn't it?" To Kei, the voice sounded different from what she had heard in Jamie's quarters. It was more tentative, and there seemed to be a touch of fear. She felt tears come to her eyes as she realised that Jamie must have really missed them.  
  
"It's really me, Zen-chan. Yuri's here too. It'll be alright now."  
  
Jamie's response startled Kei. For a moment, she just lay there, continuing to stare at Kei. Then all of a sudden she burst into tears. Great, heaving sobs wracked her body, and she reached out to grab Kei, as if to assure herself of the reality of her friend's presence.  
  
Kei sat on the bed, going through the motions of comforting Jamie while trying to figure out what was going on. "Shh..." she whispered, "it's alright. It's over now." But nothing seemed to stop Jamie's tears. Occasionally the sobs would stop, and Kei could hear a muffled "Thank God. Oh, thank God." Then the crying would start up again, even more violently than before.  
  
Jamie spasmed as her sobs dissolved into a ragged cough and Ishtar instinctively reached for a hypo. The coughing fit became choking, and Jamie was unable to draw air into her lungs. Alarmed, Kei pounded her friend's back, trying to clear the blockage. She watched helplessly as Jamie went into convulsions, spitting up bile, stained red with blood. Ishtar intervened at that point, swiftly injecting the heaving girl with a sedative. Jamie shuddered, and after retching a few more times, collapsed on the floor in a heap.  
  
Kei stared at the body in horror. She had expected her friend to be upset, but this was far more than she had been prepared for. Ishtar did not seem nearly as surprised, though, as she put Jamie back on her bed.  
  
After ensuring that if Jamie woke again she would not do herself an injury, Ishtar turned back to Kei.  
  
"Jamie shows all of the signs of a complete nervous breakdown. She is malnourished, shows signs of a bleeding stomach ulcer, and has hypertension so bad that she's a walking time bomb. For God's sake, Kei, look at her!"  
  
Kei forced herself to look back to the bed. Jamie was twitching in her sleep, her cheek muscles and hands refusing to stay still. The sight made her ill, and she turned away quickly.  
  
"Now you see why we're fighting Jimmy, Kei. Because under his rule - and I can't think of a better way to describe how he runs the 3WA - the agents with conscience have nowhere to turn. She was close to you, right?"  
  
Hilda stood in the doorway. Kei marvelled at her ability to seemingly be everywhere. She nodded. "We were best friends."  
  
"I'm gathering that the clones built in your image were ordered to avoid her as best they could. Think, Kei. Her two best friends are suddenly walking killing machines, and when she tries to confront them, they run away. She didn't know about the clones. I suspect she blamed herself, tried to convince herself that she could have done more."  
  
Kei shuddered. "I have to tell Yuri."  
  
Ishtar frowned. "I still want you to be here when she wakes up again. Hopefully, the initial shock will have worn off, and we can avoid a second fit. It will be hard, though. I can't offer any miracle cures or trips to magical fairylands here. Jamie needs rest and care. She may recover in a few days, or it could take months."  
  
Kei's eyes widened. "But...we brought them here to help us in combat..."  
  
Hilda shook her head. "She is not even remotely ready to go into a combat situation. I'm sorry, Kei. We didn't know things had gotten this bad. Right now, she's no use to anyone."  
  
Kei got ready to argue again, then looked back at Jamie. She lay on the bed, a twitch running across her features every few seconds. A sheen of sweat glistened on her brow.  
  
Kei heard someone sobbing, and thought for a moment that Jamie had woken again. Then she realised that the voice was her own. She collapsed on the bed, holding her friend tightly and weeping bitterly.  
  
***  
  
Asuka almost ripped out the cyberjack and threw it across the room. She could not believe what she'd just found. Almost everything Jimmy had told them had been a lie. He'd just been using them to cover up the mess he'd made.  
  
She had no idea how Rei had come across the information. This time there was no editing or censoring. She'd received a full background on Shasti's past, from her birth through training with her partner. She had information on Jimmy's creation. He was another bioroid, like Shasti. Finally, she'd received a full report, augmented with visuals from hidden cameras, of Shasti's capture and recovery, of her tortuous road back to a sort of sanity, and of Jimmy's psychotic attempts to kill her, using a clone of her dead partner as his instrument of vengeance. The whole thing sounded like some bad movie.  
  
Asuka had always been brought up to respect authority. It was the one thing that her mother had drilled into her almost from birth. And now to find that the man running 3WA, the organisation she had devoted her life to, was in all respects a psychotic murderer...  
  
She got up and threw her chair across the room. She was mad, but had no one to take out her anger on. She hated being used, and she hated being betrayed.  
  
She barely noticed when Rei walked back in. Rei merely stood and watched as Asuka's temper raged. Finally, Asuka seemed to calm down enough to look at Rei. She still had a bit of anger in her eyes. "Have you finished what you needed to do?" she asked, a bit of tension in her voice.  
  
Rei nodded, not seeming to notice, or perhaps just not caring. "What should we do now?"  
  
Asuka had calmed down enough to think clearly. They had all the information they needed, but she still wasn't seeing the full picture. She started to talk out loud unconsciously.  
  
"Jimmy must have something else he's hiding," she said. "His motives can be explained by just jealousy and anger, but I don't think that's it. We're missing something else that's making him use us to do all the dirty jobs. Maybe we should talk to Doctor Akagi, see if we can't get anything out of her..."  
  
Rei interrupted her. "Ritsuko is dead."  
  
"WHAT?!" Asuka's head snapped around. "Dammit...how?"  
  
"I don't know." Rei looked as if she _did_ know, but wasn't going to say. Asuka sighed. She was trying to like this girl, but there were still too many secrets between them. *Like you've opened up about your own past*, a small part of her said. She ignored it and went on.  
  
"I was really hoping to avoid this...but just like he said, there's no other choice. Rei, open up the envelope with Jimmy's name on it."  
  
Rei swiftly removed one of the envelopes from wherever she had been keeping it (there was a third-year course in 3WA about nineteen ways to conceal objects on your person when you're only wearing a bikini), and slit it open. She read the contents quickly. "It's a location, about 30 levels down from here. I don't think there's a passable route; it's an abandoned section."  
  
Asuka snorted, and stomped out of the room. "Then we'll _make_ it accessible."  
  
***  
  
It wasn't quite as easy as she'd predicted. It took two hours to get down to the room Bast told them to investigate. Asuka tried to keep a low profile, concerned that they might be stopped now that their investigations were getting more devious. Rei seemed unconcerned, though, and simply walked down the corridors, blasting her way through steel doors and even, in one case, a cave-in.  
  
Asuka was beginning to feel very tired when they finally arrived. "This room had better be important, or I'm going to pound him."  
  
There was a computer lock on the door, but this time Asuka had no trouble taking it out. The door swooshed open, revealing a room shrouded in darkness.  
  
"This is getting to be more and more like a horror movie. We'll get in there and find monsters that will accidentally awaken and eat our brains," Asuka remarked.  
  
She heard a giggle from behind her. Stunned, she turned around. "Rei, was that _you_ I heard laughing?"  
  
Rei was standing very still, her eyes a little wider than usual. "I laughed..." she said quietly. Turning to Asuka, she said "Was what you said funny?"  
  
Asuka found herself grinning. "Yeah, I guess it was."  
  
Rei's expression got very distant. "It's working," she said. Suddenly her face shut down again, and she stoically turned back towards Asuka. "Let's see if we can get the lights on."  
  
Asuka felt like groaning. She was so close, but still insisted on going back to her base frigid persona. She curbed her reaction, however, not wanting to affect the progress they had made. A giggle, she thought. This might be easier than I thought.  
  
Then Rei turned on the lights. Asuka gasped as she saw Jimmy Daltrey in front of her.  
  
She then dropped her weapon and gaped as the next thirty people she saw were also Jimmy Daltrey.  
  
***  
  
"BAST!"  
  
Bast jumped in his seat. His recent activity had made him even more nervous than he usually was, and Jimmy shouting at him convinced him that this was the end. Paranoia came easily to someone who worked with Jimmy Daltrey.  
  
He quickly walked into the office, trying not to let his guilt show on his face. "Yes, Jimmy?"  
  
Jimmy was by the bar, fixing drinks. Bast flinched inwardly. This was not good.  
  
"Bast, I'm sure you've been keeping yourself up to date with our various crises. You know that I sent those two agents off to work on the Shasti problem."  
  
Bast decided to play along. Maybe he could earn a few more minutes of life. "Yes, I do remember. They've been talking to the Lovely Angels, last I heard."  
  
"Won't get far there," Jimmy muttered, then turned, passing Bast a martini as he sat in his chair. "They aren't the only two agents I've had working on this problem. I think that Shasti got some very interesting help in escaping, and I've been trying to find out what sort of help that is. I think I've been successful."  
  
Jimmy called up a vid screen, and the faces of Kei and Yuri came up. "About a year and a half ago, the lovely Angels had a rather unusual mission. It was assigned to them by the Central Computer, for reasons we were never able to figure out. They gave rather sketchy details in their report, but what happened is that they met people from an advanced civilisation that assisted them."  
  
Bast couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. This was completely new to him. "An advanced civilisation, Jimmy?"  
  
"Don't act so surprised, Bast. We've seen far stranger things at the 3WA. Now I've had some people doing some snooping, and I think that Shasti and her accomplices have sought sanctuary there. I've tried to get someone in, but it's difficult." Jimmy smiled again, and turned back towards Bast. "That's where you come in."  
  
Bast began to feel nervous again. "Me?"  
  
"Things have been quiet in my office lately. There really isn't that much for you to do. Besides, you are the _least_ likely person to be a double agent."  
  
Bast started at Jimmy's words. "Um...Jimmy, I haven't done field work in years!"  
  
"I know, and this is a gamble. But I need people I can trust, Bast. So many people in this organisation are turning against me. It's disturbing. I need someone who I have complete faith in. I can trust you, Bast, and that's more important than any field experience."  
  
Bast tried his best not to laugh. He didn't know whether Jimmy was setting him up or not. It seemed likely. Still, even if he was serious, there wasn't much Bast could do about it. "What do you want me to do, Jimmy?"  
  
"I want you to keep your eyes peeled. Go down to the control room for the central computer, and watch the monitors. If this group has Shasti, they may try to attack us, or at least investigate. I want you to be ready. When you see them, make contact and try to infiltrate their organisation."  
  
The congruity of Jimmy's orders amazed Bast. "How should I try to ingratiate myself?"  
  
Jimmy laughed. "I don't care, make something up. Tell them that you think that I've gone insane and can't be trusted. Anything. Just get inside their base, and find out what you can."  
  
"Just that?"  
  
"Just that," Jimmy replied. "I don't want you trying to kill Shasti or anything like that. You aren't an assassin, you're reconnaissance. Get in, find out what you can, report back. I'll give you the contact point; we're moving out soon." Jimmy rose and waved Bast towards the door.  
  
Bast's mind was still reeling. Now his paranoia was working against him. Had Jimmy been watching his every move? Was this all some elaborate trap? It didn't seem possible, the rational part of him thought. He had to trust his knowledge of Jimmy. While Jimmy was insane, this would be too complicated for him. Jimmy wouldn't have arranged all this just to kill Bast, he would simply have shot him. Actually, the plan seemed more like one of Jimmy's lover and confidante, Cory Emerson. She was the one who liked to be complex and cryptic.  
  
In the end, he decided to take the chance. If he managed to find this 'advanced civilisation' that Jimmy was talking about, maybe he could do what Shasti and the others had apparently done, and seek sanctuary. Whoever they might be, they had to be better than Jimmy.  
  
This all flashed through his mind in a second. He then got up and walked over to the door where Jimmy had gone. "Alright, Jimmy. You can count on me." It was the first time he'd ever told Jimmy an outright lie.  
  
Jimmy smiled. "Good," he said. "I don't mean to disturb you, Bast, but I think this is going to get bloody. There's going to be a war. It hasn't started yet, we haven't even had any skirmishes. But both armies are building up. I want to get you in there before it's too late."  
  
He opened the door to show Bast out. Bast got to the entrance, and then stopped.  
  
The Lovely Angels were lying on the floor just outside Jimmy's office. Their throats had been slit almost through, and their heads lolled at awkward angles. On each of their foreheads was carved the word 'fake'.  
  
Jimmy and Bast said nothing, just staring at the bodies. Finally, Jimmy spoke.  
  
"I take that back, Bast. The war has just begun."  
  
End of Part 2 


	3. Part 3: Who Are You

Part Three: Who Are You  
  
Shasti opened her eyes slowly, trying to hold on to the images in her head. Unfortunately, the more she thought about them, the more they slipped away, until with a groan of frustration she realised that she had once _again_ forgotten what she was dreaming about.  
  
Letting out a small sigh, she looked around the spacious room. She had been given a guest room in the palace, and was currently occupying a four-poster bed that was big enough for four people, eight if they were friendly. Not that that would ever happen in a place like this. *People don't get _that_ friendly in Oz,* she reminded herself.  
  
She'd been here for three days now, trying to recover from her recent operation. The first night, she had been panicked about falling asleep, convinced she would have another nightmare. However, when sleep finally came, she found that the dreams she had were actually very pleasant. At least she presumed they were. Every time she woke up, trying to remember what she had dreamt about, the images faded away, until she was left with nothing more than a vague feeling that they were happy.  
  
On the other hand, she could still recall her nightmare with brutal clarity. It came back to her again as she changed, putting on one of the long, flowing gowns that Glinda had loaned her. At least this one didn't have a corset, but the echoes of her nightmare still flicked through her head. Even worse, she'd agreed to go on a picnic today, though she doubted that a butter knife would do much damage to the metal gentleman she'd be eating with.  
  
Having finally managed to get herself looking like she belonged in Oz, more or less, Shasti opened the door. This proved to be a mistake, as almost immediately a long, insect-like creature fell into the room.  
  
Shasti sighed. Despite the fact that being in Oz was supposed to be restful, there were still annoyances in her life. The largest of them was just getting up, brushing imaginary dust off of his coat-tails.  
  
"Good morning, Professor Wogglebug. How nice of you to drop in," Shasti said dryly.  
  
Wogglebug looked at her blankly, then suddenly burst out laughing. "I see!" he chortled. "You were making a joke! Very nice play-on-words there, Miss Shasti. It's a shame you can't truly appreciate it the same way that I can."  
  
"Of course not. After all, I haven't been thoroughly educated." Shasti rolled her eyes. Wogglebug was a harmless nuisance, but a nuisance nonetheless. He seemed fascinated with her history, and had been following her ever since they'd met.  
  
"So how are you feeling today, Miss Shasti? Any new feelings or emotions? I could examine you if I like - I am a Highly Magnified -- "  
  
Shasti wasn't in a very good mood to begin with, and the bug was doing nothing to alleviate it. She turned on him. "Look, I feel the same as I have since I got here, which is fine. If I stop feeling fine, I'll let you know. In the meantime, and pardon me for being impolite, take your woggle and bug off!"  
  
Wogglebug seemed to have been rendered speechless. It was only temporary, however. "Of course, Miss Shasti. But be sure to see me if you feel anything new happening to you!"  
  
Shasti clenched her fists and nodded.  
  
Wogglebug bowed deeply and went on his way, muttering to himself and drawing figures in the air.  
  
Shasti tried to regain a bit of good humour. Despite what she'd told Wogglebug, she wasn't feeling good. In fact, the last thing she wanted to do was go on a picnic. She'd tried to see Glinda yesterday to discuss her situation, but Glinda had been busy elsewhere.  
  
Walking along to the grand staircase, she managed once again to slip and almost fall. Glinda had mentioned that they were magic stairs, but Shasti couldn't shake the feeling that her feet were supposed to be going downwards.  
  
She smiled when she arrived at the bottom of the steps, seeing Tik- Tok carrying a large picnic basket, not really realising that he looked a little silly. Tik-Tok was one of the people she got along best with in Oz, mostly because he allowed her to keep her own counsel, unlike Wogglebug. She appreciated that, as she had been doing some serious thinking these past three days.  
  
"Good mor-ning, Miss Shas-ti. I've heard that you want to post-pone our pic-nic."  
  
Shasti blinked. "You did? From whom?"  
  
"Glin-da in-formed me that her book said that you would be com-ing to see her this mor-ning, and that I should wait un-til la-ter to have our pic-nic."  
  
*That book again,* Shasti thought, her eyes narrowing. Glinda had a book that told her what was happening and would be happening in Oz. Unfortunately, this meant that every time Shasti tried to do something spontaneous, someone would be there to help her, saying that Glinda's book had told them she'd be doing whatever it was she was doing.  
  
Truth to tell, she _had_ been thinking of postponing the picnic to see if she could get in to see Glinda. She didn't like to be told what to do, though. For a moment, she considered rebelling and going on the picnic anyway, but then realised that Glinda would probably know that would happen as well. Finally, she just sighed.  
  
"Yeah, all right, I'll go and see her. We can have the picnic afterwards, okay, Tik-Tok?"  
  
Tik-Tok nodded. "I have noth-ing else sched-uled for the day, so I shall wait here for your re-turn."  
  
"All right, if that's what you want. Make sure you don't wind down."  
  
"I had my-self ful-ly wound up this mor-ning in an-tic-i-pa-tion of our meal, Miss Shas-ti."  
  
Shasti nodded, smiled at Tik-Tok once more, and then went off in search of Glinda.  
  
Glinda had her own set of rooms for when she stayed at the Palace, taking up the entire South wing. Towards this end of the palace, the walls tended to get a little less emerald green than the others, possibly as Glinda had a hand in the decoration.  
  
Shasti raised a hand to knock on the door, but quickly found it opening of its own accord. "Come in!" a cheerful voice replied.  
  
Shasti found Glinda sitting in an incredibly large chair, reading from her book. *Probably rehearsing her lines so she can sound realistic when she talks to me,* Shasti thought sarcastically. Nevertheless, she curtsied deeply, knowing in some primal way that showing disrespect to Glinda would definitely be a _wrong_ thing to do.  
  
"Um...Glinda, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a few minutes." Shasti was uncertain how to go about expressing her doubts. She'd normally talk to Deirdre, but that wasn't an option. So Glinda would have to do.  
  
Glinda smiled brightly. "Of course, Shasti, come right in! Have a seat!" The servants that had been unobtrusively bustling around the room suddenly vanished, leaving the two women alone.  
  
Shasti sat down, still fairly uncomfortable. It wasn't so much the fact that Glinda was incredibly powerful, although that was part of it; it was the fact that she was so _happy_ all the time. Glinda seemed to exist in a perpetual state of cheerfulness, the kind Shasti had only ever seen before on heavy drug users. If she didn't know better, she'd swear that Glinda had been frolicking in the poppies a few too many times.  
  
Then she remembered the reason she had come here. Steeling herself, she looked Glinda straight in the eye.  
  
"Glinda, why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing? I mean, I know I have to recover from my operation and being fully human and all that, but I can't see exactly how to go about it. Everyone said that Oz would be the perfect place for me to recuperate. I still haven't been able to understand why." There was a whining tone to her voice that made Shasti cringe, but she kept going; this was the culmination of three days of worry coming out of her.  
  
Glinda listened to her rant smiling and nodding. After Shasti had wound down, she got up and moved over to tend to some plants, talking over her shoulder to Shasti as she did so.  
  
"The primary reason you are here is to recover your sanity, Shasti. Your mind was not ready for the changes you have been through, which are both physical and psychological. The reason for your breakdowns was mostly physical. You no longer have thousands of tiny little machines regulating your body functions and nerve impulses; instead you have the one great big machine we all do; the brain. Your own mind is fighting itself, trying to rebel and do things as it used to."  
  
Shasti was surprised. Usually Glinda, in addition to her constant cheeriness, gave the impression of being not slightly out of touch with reality. While talking to Shasti, however, Glinda seemed to be direct and to the point, and Shasti realised how serious this really was.  
  
Glinda turned back towards Shasti, coming over to take her hand. "This is a very different place from the world you come from, or the world of the Long family. Here we have peace. And I don't just mean a lack of war or evil. I mean that Oz is a place of total tranquillity. This is good, for it enables your mind to relax, and stop fighting itself."  
  
Shasti frowned. "What about when I have to leave?"  
  
A crease appeared on Glinda's forehead. "How can I explain this? I know! Your mind, here in Oz, is learning how to behave itself. It is getting used to this state of mind as your normal one. By the time you go back to your own world, your mind should have 'gotten used to' sanity, enabling you to function normally."  
  
The idea of gradually sinking into a state of sanity disturbed Shasti somewhat, but it did answer her question. "I see. Thank you, Glinda, you've helped me a lot -- "  
  
Glinda continued as if Shasti had not even spoken. "Then there is the other, more important reason why they chose Oz for you to recuperate."  
  
About to stand up, Shasti had to shift her weight awkwardly to avoid falling. "What?"  
  
Glinda smiled again. "Shasti, think about your childhood."  
  
"I didn't have a childhood," Shasti replied automatically.  
  
"Precisely," Glinda replied, a touch of sadness coming to her eyes. "The organisation that created you did not create a human being; they created a thing, an agent to use in the furtherance of their goals. You surpassed everyone's expectations, Shasti, and became human, in your soul if nothing else. And now you are human in body as well."  
  
Getting up, Glinda took Shasti's hand, leading her to the window looking out over the South End of the palace. In the distance, Shasti could see various homes and gardens, as well as a path made of yellow brick wending its way towards the land of Glinda's people.  
  
Glinda continued to speak to her. "A childhood is one of the most important aspects of human life. It gives you socialisation skills, it fosters imagination, it prepares you for the wonders of being a grownup. You were never allowed to go through that stage, Shasti, and that is what we are trying to give to you here. Tell me, where are you going after this?"  
  
Shasti was so caught up in Glinda's words that she had to think for a few moments. "Um, I was going on a picnic with Tik-Tok..."  
  
"A very good idea. Don't be afraid to have fun, though. You've been walking around here for the past three days on eggshells, afraid that you'll do something wrong. Don't worry about that. Think of this as being the chance to do things you've never been able to do before. You could go swimming in the river, or have Tik-Tok show you around the caves to the north of here. This is your chance to do whatever you want. Don't waste it."  
  
Shasti looked at Glinda for a moment, then back out to the view from the window. Childhood. The idea was a little silly; after all, she had physically and mentally been a grownup for years. Besides, how much would the addition of a few days playing really add to her well- being?  
  
Suddenly she remembered an incident from a few years ago. A tickle fight that had broken out among a few agents. Shasti had at first been completely puzzled as to the purpose it served, but had let her social personality take over and started to join in. Unfortunately, as the tickling intensified, her mind had interpreted it as an attack, which automatically brought up the warrior personality. One broken arm later, Deirdre was left apologising to everyone while Shasti sat in the corner of the room, everyone avoiding her.  
  
Now she was one mind, just Shasti. Moreover, that mind was still unused to being human. She remembered hitting Cory in the hallway heading for the ship. She could lose control again like that.  
  
She turned back to Glinda. "What sort of fun would you suggest?"  
  
Glinda's smile twitched cutely. "You're supposed to come up with them yourself, Shasti. Find out what you think is fun. Do it. Let your own mind develop."  
  
Shasti wasn't all too certain how much fun she could come up with on her own, but didn't want to say anything about it. Instead she just smiled. "All right, I'll give it a try. Thank you, Glinda."  
  
"Anytime, anytime!" Glinda was back to being her usual flighty self, and accidentally knocked over a flowerpot. Shasti beat a quick retreat.  
  
She headed back towards the main hallway with thoughts whirring through her head. Fun. Childhood breeds imagination. She'd need something like that. Moreover, this was the best opportunity to let her mind heal itself. Stop worrying, enjoy the time spent here.  
  
For no matter how much she tried to relax here, she knew she'd have to leave soon. Jimmy was back. Shasti didn't know how, as she'd seen his body lying dead at her feet, but he was back. It was her fault for running away before she'd made sure of his death. And now all of 3WA was paying for her mistake.  
  
She'd get better. Then Jimmy would die. She'd killed him once, she could kill him again.  
  
***  
  
Jimmy Daltreys lined the walls. At least thirty of them, floating serenely in a liquid solution Asuka recognised from when the trainees had been shown the cloning process. She slowly walked along, looking at each one in turn, scarcely daring to believe that she was actually seeing this.  
  
What made it even worse was that the Jimmy clones turned to stare at her as she passed by. They seemed to have a vague intelligence about them. It wasn't anything near sentience...in fact, the glassy-eyed smile each of them presented looked far from intelligent. It was just a readiness. Each of these bodies was waiting here, ready to be called upon in case they were needed by Jimmy Daltrey.  
  
It was a rarity that Asuka found herself unable to speak. Her jaw was hanging open, her brain unable to comprehend what she was seeing. It couldn't last, though, and she quickly found her voice once again.  
  
"I CAN'T _BELIEVE_ THIS!!!" She turned to Rei. "This creep is actually...um...what have you found?"  
  
Asuka had assumed that Rei had been gawping at the bodies along with her. Instead, Rei had walked over to what appeared to be an old- fashioned computer, and was busy trying to coax information from it. Unfortunately, the computer was proving to be stubborn, as the screen remained black. Rei's eyebrows were coming together, her equivalent of fury. "The computer isn't acknowledging me."  
  
Puzzled, Asuka tried it. Nothing. "You turned it on, right?"  
  
Rei looked genuinely puzzled. "What?"  
  
Despite the environment, Asuka actually managed to giggle. "I can't believe that for once, I know more than you do! This is an old keyboard and terminal computer. You can't even jack in or anything, you just switch it on."  
  
Doing so, Asuka quickly got to a command prompt and started searching for files that could tell them more. Rei noticed that Asuka was getting somewhere where she couldn't, shrugged, and moved over to the clones.   
  
Asuka was secretly loving this. She'd discovered the uses of these types of computers since she joined the 3WA. Dataplugs and information uploads gave her headaches, and so she turned to keyboard computers as an alternative. Even though there were only a couple of them in the 3WA, there was never any problem getting logged in; most of the agents and trainees preferred to go with the state-of-the-art cyberware, and regarded the old computers as little more than toys. Asuka had quickly discovered that these toys, however, could be just as useful as the Central Computer's databanks; and even more so in some circumstances.  
  
This one seemed to have a simple enough file system. There were only three directories, each taking up a large amount of memory. *Lessee...* she thought, *here's one called Jimmy, that'll probably have the stuff we need...ooh, a directory on Shasti as well! Betcha _that_ has the missing information from those uploads!*  
  
Asuka was getting more excited now, as she discovered what seemed to be the answer to their prayers. *And...um...Rei. Rei?* Asuka paused for a moment, staring back at the computer. "Rei, is there anyone else in the 3WA with your name?"  
  
Rei had been examining the controls that went with the tanks; she came back over to the computer. Looking at the directories elicited a gasp from her. Asuka blinked, and felt tempted to clean out her ears to make sure she'd heard correctly. "It _is_ you, isn't it? Why would Jimmy have a directory on you?"  
  
Rei seemed to be having difficulty looking Asuka in the eye; in fact, she was even flushing red. *Good God, I've done her more good than I thought!* Asuka mused.  
  
Rei finally answered, "I...Jimmy did a lot of my training before we were partners. That's probably why I'm in there. Why don't you look at the files on Shasti?"  
  
Asuka's eyes narrowed; she'd been given the run-around enough times in the past day or two to know Rei was hiding something. Still, their mission was more important, though Asuka resolved to look at it later. "OK, let's see what we've got." She typed quickly, bringing up the files on Shasti.  
  
***  
  
Jimmy whistled as he walked down the hall towards the main computer area. Things were going rather well, despite the setback the loss of the Angels had caused. The entire base was being evacuated at Jimmy's order, due to terrorist activities. Half the agents were gone, already at the new base of operations he'd chosen. Rei and Asuka were trying to get at Shasti one way, while Bast was trying another. One of them should be good enough to flush Shasti out of her little hiding place. Then he'd be able to move on to Phase Two.  
  
Cory was busy getting ready to send out a hypersonic signal to the various 3WA agents. An improvement on the one he'd used during his last fight with Shasti, this would effectively give him a fighting force of about 150 agents. All the people who'd gotten a physical in the past year would be affected.  
  
He ruminated on his failure during their last fight. He'd let himself become too cocky, showing up in the open like that. It was lucky that he'd been prepared with a clone body, or things would have ended right there. He'd also allowed himself to be distracted by the Dirty Pair. He'd been amused when he realised that a few of the agents he'd mindwiped were their friends, and had let the fight progress until Kei and Yuri had to kill all of them. While it had been emotionally satisfying, it was another example of poor planning.  
  
Still, he had learned from his mistakes. This new scheme was far more elaborate, but the goal was single-minded: revenge on Shasti. It had gotten to the point where he didn't even remember why he had started to hate her, or even care why. He just knew that his life would not be complete until she lay dead at his feet.  
  
Everything he had done recently was a means to that end. Even Cory, much as she would like to think otherwise. The other Cory Emerson had gotten very close to Shasti when they were at 3WA. A clone of her had at first merely been a convenience, as her disappearance would have been hard to explain. But then when the clone came out of the tank, it had proven to be...very different from the moral, prudish little journalist. This Cory was power hungry, and knew exactly what to do to achieve that power.   
  
He'd learned this when she showed up in his office one night, supposedly to discuss the final version of the "story" she had been working on. He hadn't been willing to give in to her on a few points, so she quickly started trying to persuade him. Jimmy had always been too busy attempting to gain more power to bother with sex. Anyway, sleeping his way to the top wasn't his style. It was certainly Cory's, though, and after that night she had become his on-again, off-again mistress, whenever she could take a break from her journalistic career, and later her talk show.  
  
So, with Cory taking care of the other agents, and Rei and Bast taking care of ferreting out Shasti, that left only one loose end that Jimmy had to take care of. And this loose end was one he was going to take extreme pleasure in cutting himself.  
  
Entering the main computer area, he quickly sat down on one of the reclining chairs and jacked himself into a terminal. Quickly he found himself floating in cyberspace, with high-tech computer grids and the like in the background. He merely spun around in slow circles, waiting. He didn't have to announce himself.  
  
Sure enough, after a few moments, a large digital "happy face" popped into the air beside him. Jimmy grimaced; this was a quirk of the Central Computer's he'd always found childish. Considering the amount of power it had, it should act like a grown-up.  
  
None of this showed on his face, of course. Instead, he gave his usual lopsided grin and waved at the CC. "Hi there!" he chirped. He could feel the happiness wash through him, knowing what he was about to do.  
  
The Central Computer's smiley face was in an absolutely flat line today. "Hello there, Jimmy. What can I do for you?"  
  
For the past year or so, the Central Computer and Jimmy had been playing a little game. Each of them knew that the other wanted him dead, but that wasn't the object. The object was to make death inevitable, and totally inescapable. They had never discussed this, of course, but each knew it to be true. Rei was the major battle between them, a battle Jimmy knew he had won. Now it was time for the endgame, no more lies.  
  
"I've come here to kill you." Jimmy quickly stopped himself from sneering; it would make him look like a villain. "Things have gotten far enough. Rei is mine, and Shasti will soon be dead. The 3WA doesn't even listen to you anymore. I win."  
  
For almost a minute there was silence, as Jimmy waited for the Central Computer's reaction. When it came, he was rather surprised.  
  
"Go ahead, then. Kill me."  
  
This momentarily flustered Jimmy. He hated it when situations didn't go as he planned. He had expected anger. "Don't think you can try to weasel your way out of this one."  
  
The happy face blinked. "As you have already told me, I can't. There's nothing more here for me to do, and I don't think I'd want to try. I presume you're not going to destroy the entire system."  
  
Jimmy smiled. This was more like it. "Of course not. I'm not interested in the chaos that would cause. In fact, you'll be helping me a lot in my final battle."  
  
"Is that what you're calling it now?" the Central Computer said dryly.  
  
Jimmy ignored it and went on, not letting anything interrupt his good mood. "No, I'm referring to your sentience. Rather closely guarded secret, isn't it? No one knows what makes you a real thinking being. Or at least, no one did. I've been doing some research on you for the past few years, and -- "  
  
"You have the virus with you, I hope. I'd hate to have to wait here while you ran and got it." The Central Computer's voice sounded tired. If it had been an actual insult, Jimmy would have taken it with equanimity. But it was clear that the CC was only going through the motions of putting up a fight. Perhaps it realised that it had never stood a chance of winning against someone of Jimmy's calibre.  
  
Jimmy smiled one last time. "I have to go now. You understand, I hope."  
  
The smiley face turned, and seemed to stare directly into Jimmy's eyes for a moment. "Yes, Jimmy. I understand you perfectly."  
  
Jimmy's smile slipped for a moment, then he quickly turned away and stepped out of this virtual world. Unjacking, he got out the software he'd carefully programmed, plugged it into one of the terminals, and ran it.  
  
The effect took some time to produce. Jimmy had needed to have someone develop a new map of the Central Computer's architecture. He wanted to degrade the network so the CC's sentience would slip away like grains of sand through fingers, but the main functions would still work. Jimmy was not all that upset at the slow speed, he wanted to savour this.  
  
Sure enough, after about thirty seconds the lights on one of the consoles began to flicker. The room seemed to dim for a moment, and a babble of voices resounded through the speakers.  
  
Then suddenly there was a high-pitched whine, sounding uncannily like a scream. It resonated through every outlet throughout the 3WA. Every single agent still on the planet paused, listening to the sound. It lasted for over two minutes, getting louder and louder.  
  
Just as suddenly as it began, it stopped. The lights flickered back to normal, and the room looked exactly the same. Jimmy quickly rejacked into the computer, to double-check, but it was merely a formality. He knew. He'd known the instant he heard that scream. It was perhaps the most wonderful sound he'd ever heard in his life.  
  
Getting off the couch, he took one last look around the room. Lights flashed, devices pinged, it looked for all the world like one of the busiest places on the planet.  
  
But to Jimmy, it had never seemed more empty.  
  
Chuckling to himself, Jimmy walked back to his office, softly singing an old twentieth-century tune to himself.  
  
~Daisy, daisy...~  
  
***  
  
Asuka had thought that nothing more could possibly have shocked her. The information she found in this old computer, however, was almost too much for her to bear. It was bad enough when she had realised that the head of 3WA was corrupt. She could deal with Jimmy in a singular sense. But this...the files showed that the corruption in 3WA began long before Jimmy was even created.  
  
She pored through the information, soaking all of it up. Shasti's creation, and the problems that plagued her throughout her entire life. Asuka had to try to avoid feeling pity for Shasti. She had lived through some really bad times, and still managed to survive. *She's still a murderer, though, whether it was forced on her or not,* Asuka reminded herself.  
  
The files on Jimmy were even more enlightening, and sometimes terrifying. He had been created before Shasti had gone rogue, back when she was considered to be a success. When she snapped, the Jimmy project was supposed to have been abandoned, at the orders of Director Ayoob. But for some reason the project continued, this time in secret.  
  
This led to more troubles. Jimmy couldn't have the same social acclimatisation that Shasti had, and also lacked a friend like Deirdre. He ended up having a brilliant mind for tactics, but it was tempered by his own personality, whose unpredictability led to disasters. It was clear right off the bat that he could not be a 3WA agent, and they tried to bury him in management and hope no one would notice.  
  
Reading this, Asuka wasn't certain if the 3WA were totally corrupt or just morons. Giving Jimmy a position where he could use his skills, warped though they may be, was just asking for trouble. Sure enough, he began to rise through the ranks incredibly quickly.  
  
This last piece of information puzzled Asuka. There was no way that he could possibly have done this by himself. He must have had help. Asuka wondered if there was another mole, still within the organisation, who they would have to watch out for.  
  
After a while, the point of view of the files changed, and it became apparent that Jimmy was now conducting his own research. Asuka had finally gotten to a point where she refused to be surprised, so she just continued to read, an apprehensive look crossing her face.  
  
This was too easy. They weren't supposed to be able to merely stroll up to a computer and find all the answers they'd been looking for. It was like the villain in those movies who explained his entire plan to the hero at the climax. It left Asuka feeling as if she was missing something.  
  
She decided to take a short break from the files, and walked over to Rei, who had taken off the front of the machine that appeared to control the clones' environment and was now crawling around inside of it. "Any luck?" Asuka asked.  
  
Rei slid out from under the panel. "In a way. There is a way to effectively kill the clones, but it will take time. It seems there was a device that would have given all the clones a quick, painless death, but it was disabled. Jimmy must not have wanted that to happen."  
  
Asuka blinked. "You know, I think that's the biggest speech I've ever heard you say. Nice job." She grinned and then turned back to the clones. "So what _can_ we do about them?"  
  
"We have to disable them individually."  
  
Asuka gaped at Rei. "You talk like we're just shutting them off. What you're saying is we have to smash each tank and then kill them."  
  
Rei looked up at Asuka. "Yes."  
  
Asuka glanced up at the tanks, looking a little ill. Each of the Jimmy clones gazed back at her, smiling a empty-headed smile. The effect was extremely unnerving.  
  
"Well...let's divide it up. You do the first five, while I look through the computer some more to see if there's anything quicker. Then we'll switch. Okay?"  
  
Rei nodded, and without a word turned to the first tube. Removing her pistol, she shot at the glass five times, cracking it until it finally broke. A viscous fluid poured from the tank, covering the floor on that end of the room. The clone fell forwards onto the floor, not even seeming to notice. Rei walked up to it and put another shot into its head. Asuka looked at all of this with horror. _She'd_ have to do this as well? How could Rei be so casual about it all?  
  
Looking back at Asuka, Rei said, "You'd better get back to the computer, before the room gets soaked. And...try to find a quicker way to do this. Please." Her voice sounded tighter than usual.  
  
Asuka nodded, feeling much better. So Rei wasn't completely unaffected by it all. She sat down at the computer and went back to work, trying to find a reference in the cloning files to any process to get rid of them.  
  
She tore through the remaining files on the Jimmy clones. The information they needed seemed to be eluding her. Then she noticed that one of the files was cross-referenced with the Rei directory. It was a file on Jimmy's split personalities. Which was odd, as Asuka hadn't noticed he'd had any. Another question found with no answer forthcoming, she thought sourly.  
  
She looked back at Rei for a moment, then quickly opened up the new link and started reading.  
  
After a while she knew that she should stop. She knew that she should just shut the computer off, get out her gun, help Rei kill the other clones, and forget this ever happened. But she couldn't stop clicking open files, almost mechanically, one after the other.  
  
Rei was a bioroid. Just like Jimmy, just like Shasti. A third. Shasti had been created at the behest of the 3WA higher-ups. Jimmy was a secret project, unconnected with 3WA's leaders. Rei had only 2 creators, Jimmy and the Central Computer. Both of them taking an equal interest in her upbringing, almost like parents. No, thought Asuka as she thought of her own family, like competing parents.  
  
She noticed the precautions they'd taken with her. Using the information they'd gotten from Shasti and Jimmy's creation, they were able to get her intelligence to the point where a split personality was not necessary. Unfortunately Rei, like Shasti, lacked the emotions necessary to a good agent. If they'd wanted a robot, they could have just built one. They wanted to create life.  
  
So they'd decided to take a page from Shasti's training and find her a partner. Someone who could help her discover her emotions, draw them out to the point where she could function as a 'perfect' agent. Jimmy had been the one who'd made the suggestion; an agent who had almost been let go because of 'personality problems', but one who would fit Rei perfectly.  
  
Soryuu Asuka Langley.  
  
Asuka stared at the screen for a moment, the white text blinking at her.  
  
Soryuu Asuka Langley.  
  
The Central Computer had run some simulations, and agreed that they would be the best pairing.  
  
Soryuu Asuka Langley.  
  
Both Jimmy and the Central Computer agreed that for this to work, there would need to be some preliminary work done. Jimmy said he would take care of it, that he could combine the training with memory erasure and ensure that the project was not compromised.  
  
Behind her, she heard the sound of smashing glass and the soft 'squish' of exploding heads stop. Steps walking over to her. The steps of Rei Ayanami, the Third Child of this process, who had been assigned to be a partner to --  
  
Asuka suddenly snapped out of her near-fugue state. Spinning around in her chair, she backhanded Rei across the face, following it up with a kick to the midsection that sent Rei flying across the room, to land on a pile of corpses. Asuka got up out of the chair, noting absentmindedly that there were tears running down her cheeks.  
  
"You betrayed me! You bitch! I can't believe I ever started to like you!" Asuka let out all the rage that she normally held back, all of the pain and anger she dealt with every day. Rei was starting to get up, but Asuka hit her again, sending her sprawling.  
  
Rei, for her part, looked incredibly guilty. If she had been confused, or even surprised, Asuka might have been ready to stop and listen. It was that expression of shame on her face, the fact that she knew, she KNEW --   
  
Asuka screamed again, a cry of nearly incoherent fury. She went to hit Rei again, but this time the other agent was ready for her. She grabbed Asuka's arm and pulled her round so that her arms were held behind her back. Asuka dropped to the ground, taking Rei with her as a result, and managed to get out of the hold, spinning around. Unfortunately, it was her turn to fall across another body, ending up on her back in a mess of liquid goop and blood.  
  
The Jimmy clones. At that moment, staring at the corpse - no, the THING in front of her, the focus of Asuka's rage changed. She got up and began to stalk towards the door. Rei took a defensive position, ready for almost anything, but Asuka ignored her until she got to the door.  
  
Spinning around, she delivered one final retort. "I'm going to go find Jimmy and kill him. Then I'm going to find the Central Computer and try to kill IT. And after that, you'd better pray to whatever gods you can make up, because I _will_ be coming after you."  
  
She gave a humourless grin and ran out of the room. She quickly retraced her steps towards 3WA proper, up towards Jimmy. Her anger focused itself into a cold, hard, lump in her chest. She didn't need to stop and try to remember which way they came; she was running entirely on instinct.  
  
All she needed to do was to focus on Jimmy, and how she would kill him.  
  
***  
  
Rei stared at the doorway that Asuka had just run out of. For a moment, her face appeared to twist itself, and she took two steps towards the door.  
  
Then she looked back into the room, at the tanks and the bodies. At the remaining Jimmy Daltreys that still lived.  
  
She took out her gun again, and slapped in a fresh charge. Her first shot took out the computer in an explosion of sparks and metal. Then she turned back to the tanks, firing faster and faster.  
  
The only three who knew her well would have been extremely surprised at the expression of panic and despair on her face.  
  
***  
  
Cory stood in Jimmy's office, watching him pace back and forth. Informing him of her latest failures had not been very pleasant, and she stood by the desk awaiting his reaction.  
  
To her surprise, he began to chuckle. "Do you find something funny about this?" she asked.  
  
Jimmy turned to her, grinning. "I do, in an ironic sort of way. Think about it. Of the top agents that 3WA has produced in the past few years, almost all of them have gone over to the other side. Shasti, Deirdre, the Angels, and now Jamie and Bridget. I should have just hunted down the top five percent of 3WA and killed them all while I had the chance."  
  
Suddenly Jimmy frowned, a thought coming to his mind. "Speaking of which...they would have made a try for him."  
  
Cory furrowed her brow. "Who?"  
  
"The other Jamie. Zen. Our resident sexchanger. I'll have to ask the Centr...no, I guess I won't be doing that." Jimmy went over to his desk and sorted through some papers. Cory had wondered why he didn't just use a computer or implant, but Jimmy just seemed to genuinely love paper. He quickly leafed through a list. "Not on here. Thought so."  
  
Cory suddenly felt herself getting angry again. "They got him as well?"  
  
"They probably got him first. The Angels were always close to him. This annoys me, I was hoping to use him to kill the Angels." he turned back towards Cory, favouring her with a hard glare. Despite herself, she swallowed hard.  
  
"Now, I've been very nice in allowing you to take care of these little details for me. It doesn't seem to have worked. Now, I still want your help, of course. However, from now on, _I_ will be making the major decisions. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
Cory started to protest. "Now hang on! I'd like to have seen anyone else -- "  
  
Suddenly Jimmy was across the room and grabbing her by the throat. She found herself lifted up against the wall, Jimmy's hand around her windpipe. She tried to draw in a breath and found that she couldn't.  
  
Jimmy's eyes seemed to glitter as he looked at her. He grinned. "Let's try that again. Do I make myself absolutely, one hundred percent _CRYSTAL_ clear?"  
  
Being unable to talk, Cory merely nodded, feeling herself get a little dizzy. She was relieved when Jimmy suddenly lowered his arm, leaving her sucking in air in an attempt to breathe normally again.  
  
Jimmy turned and began to pace back and forth between his desk and the door to his office.  
  
"This whole operation is very, very carefully planned, Cory. It has a margin for error, but not a large one. Do you know why?"  
  
Cory did, but shook her head. With Jimmy currently in an unstable frame of mind, it would be best to just go along with him at the moment.  
  
"Because I have been dealing with betrayal. Deirdre betrayed me, allowing herself to be seduced by that witch. The Angels went over to the other side. The Central Computer and Doctor Akagi are both dead. Nobody seems to want to be on _my_ side." He turned back towards Cory. "It is getting very difficult for me to be able to trust people, Cory. I want to, I do. But it's hard. Can I trust you, Cory? Will you stand with me?"  
  
Cory remained tense. Jimmy seemed to be in a very paranoid mood right now. Any answer she gave now could be dangerous. She tried to think how best to frame her reply.  
  
She was interrupted by the door to the office exploding into shards of wood. Before the dust cleared, a shape moved through it, firing into the wall. Cory flattened herself against the floor, trying to see where the attack was coming from.  
  
Suddenly she recognised Asuka through the haze. The agent seemed to be in the grip of a cold fury. Looking around, Cory noticed Jimmy staring at Asuka from behind his desk, seemingly aghast.  
  
Cory saw Asuka raise her gun again, and realised what would happen. She screamed for Jimmy to duck and threw herself across the room, hitting Asuka across the waist just as she fired. From the side, she heard Jimmy let out a scream of pain.  
  
Suddenly Cory found herself gripped by her own rage. She had thrown Asuka against the side of the wall, momentarily stunning her. She took advantage of her disorientation to grab Asuka's pistol. Getting up, she prepared to blast the agent into ashes...  
  
But was stopped, a hand reaching out to move the gun. Shocked, she saw Jimmy standing there before her. He had a hand to the side of his head, and Asuka noted with disgust that his ear seemed to be missing. Despite this, he was lucid enough to get up and take Asuka's gun from her. Walking over to the agent, who was beginning to come to, he viciously smashed the gun against her head, knocking her out once again, bleeding slightly from the gash Jimmy had just left.  
  
Even then Jimmy didn't seem to be finished. He took a few steps back and then turned to fire, hitting Asuka on her right side just below the chest. Firing once more, he hit the inside of her left thigh, her body twitching as the bolt of energy tore through it.  
  
Cory was not what one would call a sane and friendly person, but even she was taken aback by Jimmy's ruthlessness. She started to ask him about his actions when he slumped against the desk, holding himself up with one hand. "First aid," he croaked.  
  
Cory ran over to the medikit in the back of the office, and got out some pads that would temporarily numb the affected area. After getting Jimmy so he could once again stand up, they turned back towards Asuka, who still lay unconscious, bleeding from three wounds.  
  
"Why didn't you want me to kill her?" Cory asked.  
  
Jimmy turned, a manic grin on his face. "She's the latest, Cory. The latest betrayal. Oh, I would have had to kill her anyway, but that's not the point. Everyone's abandoning me. I can't kill her. She won't get off that easily. No, I need to make a statement. A statement to anyone that thinks they can get away with switching sides. She is that statement."  
  
Cory attempted to figure out Jimmy's paranoid logic, then gave up. "What do you mean?"  
  
Jimmy began to chuckle. He went to his desk and picked up a fancy letter opener, in the shape of a dagger. The chuckle turned into a high-pitched giggle.  
  
Brandishing the letter opener like a weapon, he stalked towards Asuka, his laughter growing louder.  
  
***  
  
"Remind me again why we're still here?"  
  
Cory Emerson was not in the best of moods. She and Lazarus had gotten the call to return to Gay Deceiver and abort the mission, but Lazarus had refused to go back. He just said that they weren't finished here, and then clammed up.  
  
Since then they had searched what seemed to be all of Pacifica, finding a tidbit of information here and there. About four hours ago, there had been a flurry of activity, and Lazarus and Cory had been forced to hide until the chaos moved past them. Since then, however, the entire headquarters had seemed deserted.  
  
Lazarus wasn't all that surprised by this. "They're abandoning this place. We know too much about it. I gather Jimmy has a new HQ arranged somewhere, and they're all headed out there."  
  
Cory frowned. She had noticed something odd about the agents who walked past. "Did you notice the look on the faces of the people we saw?"  
  
Lazarus frowned. "They seemed normal enough to me."  
  
"Exactly," Cory said. "I would have expected them to all be zombies or brainwashed or something. But they looked as if it was just another mission."  
  
"Perhaps it is, to them," Lazarus mused.  
  
This brought Cory up short. "What?"  
  
Instead of answering, Lazarus moved quickly towards another door. "I think this is what we've been looking for," he said.  
  
Cory looked around her in disbelief. "The Central Computer? Isn't that sort of like sticking your head in the lion's mouth?"  
  
"From what I've heard, I'm not exactly convinced that the Central Computer is on Jimmy's side."  
  
"Yeah, but that doesn't convince me that it's on our side either. I've dealt with this thing before, and I don't trust it further than I can throw it."  
  
"It doesn't matter anyway, as Jimmy effectively destroyed the Central Computer's mind about half an hour ago." The voice came from a darkened corner of the room.  
  
Cory and Lazarus spun around, but whoever had spoken had already emerged, his hands held high above his head. "Please don't kill me. It would, quite frankly, be rather embarrassing considering the trouble I've been through."  
  
Lazarus took his finger off the trigger of his gun, though he kept it pointed at the newcomer. "Why shouldn't I shoot you?" he asked.  
  
"Because I'm no danger to you at all. And I'm surrendering. In addition, I know enough about this whole situation to give you a big advantage in the battle I now suspect is inevitable." Suddenly, he stuck one of his hands out in front of him. "Sebastian Weinberg, Executive Assistant to Jimmy Daltrey."  
  
Cory laughed shortly. "Ah, well, that makes it clear. Please forgive us for having doubted you." She then marched up and poked him in the chest. "You're going to have to do a little better than that."  
  
The reaction to her gesture surprised her somewhat. Bast paled, and looked as if she'd just shot him in the chest. She stared at her finger. "Did I acquire some new superpower?" she muttered to herself.  
  
After a moment, Bast managed to calm himself down. "I'm sorry. You see...um...you are aware that you have a double here, cloned from you, right?" The look on Cory's face told him all he needed to know. "I see you are. Anyway, she's been around here a few times, considering, and has managed to make her presence felt. I'm...um...I'm sure you're totally different, Miss Emerson, but you see why I might be a little wary at first."  
  
Cory was momentarily taken aback. "Why am I here? I thought this clone was busy being a corporate whore."  
  
Bast began to look even more uncomfortable. "Can I tell you later? We really don't have all that much time."  
  
Glaring, Cory relented. Lazarus decided to take up their end of the interrogation. "Let's try this again. Why are you doing all of this?"  
  
Bast sighed. "Believe it or not, not all of the people here at 3WA are psychotic and evil. Most of the agents are just trying to do their jobs, me included. Unfortunately, Jimmy does not seem to have the 3WA's interests at heart. In fact, to be blunt, our leader is a raving maniac. However, he's an incredibly intelligent, cunning raving maniac. He's managed to pass himself off as a brilliant leader with a few quirks. Most of the agents don't deal with him day-to-day, and simply accept it."  
  
Cory began to get a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. "So the reason that the agents we saw bugging out just now looked normal..."  
  
"Was that they were," Bast finished for her. "Most of 3WA has no idea what's actually going on. They've just been fed this story about evil clones wiping out our best agents and trying to destroy the universe."  
  
Cory began to feel upset. "Why couldn't he just have brainwashed everyone?"  
  
This time it was Bast's turn to glare. "Would you have preferred that?" Then he realised why she was upset. "Look, I'm sorry. I know this would have been easier if you could have thought of the enemy as being irredeemably evil. But it doesn't work that way. Jimmy tried mindwiping a few agents to do his bidding when you were last here. It didn't worked, and almost got him killed. He learns from his mistakes. When you have a force as well-trained as the 3WA, and you feed them the right disinformation, why bother brainwashing?"  
  
Lazarus was also looking grim. "You wanted to think of this in terms of black and white, Cory, but no war is ever that simple. And this has become a war. Jimmy has seen to that."  
  
He turned back to Bast. "You realise this makes it that much harder to trust you."  
  
Bast shrugged. "You don't have to. Quite frankly, you can take me and shove me in a cell until this is over if you like. But you'd be making a mistake. I can help you. Jimmy, for some reason, considered me a confidante, and I know a great deal about his plans. Admittedly, I don't know everything, but I consider that to be more Jimmy's general megalomania than any suspicion he may have of me. All I ask is that you don't leave me here." The haunted look returned to Bast's eyes. "Please."  
  
Lazarus frowned, and looked to be ready to refuse, when Cory interrupted him. "What harm can it do? Worst case scenario, he turns out to be a fake, we knock him out, stick him in a cell, and let him snarl at us."  
  
"Worst case scenario, he manages to escape and kill us, then reports back to Daltrey." Lazarus added tartly. Turning back to Bast, he continued. "What will Mister Daltrey think when he realises that you've disappeared?"  
  
Bast coughed, and looked a little wary. "That's the slightly unbelievable part of my story. You see, Jimmy called me into his office earlier today. He needed to get some information about all of you, to find out about his enemies. He wanted me to infiltrate your ranks. He suggested I pretend to give myself up by claiming he was crazy."  
  
Noting the looks of complete disbelief on Cory and Lazarus' faces, Bast said, "Hey, I couldn't make something like that up! I know it sounds really bad, but...I was planning on doing it anyway. When Jimmy explained it to me I thought he'd found out, and was trying to toy with me before killing me. Hell, for all I know he still might be. Do you people have good doctors?"  
  
Lazarus nodded.  
  
"Then I'd really appreciate it if they took a look at me if you take me back. I don't want to have some program in my head that I don't know about come back to haunt me."  
  
Bast sighed. "Look, either I'm one of the most truly Machiavellian people in the entire world, or I'm telling the truth. It's dangerous enough becoming a double agent. I don't want to be a triple one."  
  
Lazarus looked at Cory, who shrugged. "We didn't really get much here but speculation. Hilda's gonna be mad at you for staying behind anyway. Wouldn't you rather have something to show for it?"  
  
That seemed to convince Lazarus. He still kept his stance guarded, but lowered the gun. "All right. Let's start this mutual level of trust right now. Why is the Central Computer 'dead', as you put it?"  
  
Bast sighed, seeming to relax a little. "Can we move out of here? Every second spent at 3WA while Jimmy is still here is dangerous. Incredibly so."  
  
Lazarus nodded, and they headed out into the halls. He was about to give the signal to Gay to come pick them up, when suddenly the sounds of running footsteps came down the hall. All three of them immediately slipped back into the computer room, readying themselves for the impending attack.  
  
The attack turned out to be a 3WA agent with light blue, almost white hair and pale skin, dressed in the traditional bikini. She was tearing down the hall, not even noticing them as they passed. Her eyes appeared to be red, as if she'd been crying recently. The total impression given was an woman in complete and total panic.  
  
Lazarus and Cory looked at each other, slightly amused. "I guess she missed the last call to ship out," Lazarus said.  
  
Their laughter stopped when they turned to Bast, who had turned white as a sheet. He stared back up the corridor in complete and total disbelief.  
  
"I think things have just gotten worse, if that's even possible." he whispered.  
  
***  
  
Rei remembered her childhood.  
  
She remembered being brought online, and staring at the blank faces around her, waiting to be told what to do. She remembered meeting Jimmy Daltrey, and the training she received from him. Jimmy telling her all about his secret plans, and the part she would play in them.   
  
She remembered the dreams, when the Central Computer would come to her while she slept and remind her that she should never trust Daltrey, no matter how much she wanted to.  
  
She remembered feeling an emptiness within her, and how Jimmy and the Central Computer were both concerned about it. Stunted emotions, they had said. The Central Computer had recommended a partner, but Jimmy reminded it what had happened with Shasti. Through the discussion, Rei had stood at attention, her mind searching for a way to fill that emptiness, and finding none.  
  
She remembered meeting Asuka, and the training they both endured. Coming closer, learning to rely on each other. Feeling different around Asuka, a sense that the young woman was teaching her, as well as the two of them learning together.  
  
She remembered the screams that would echo from the room as Jimmy and the Central Computer wiped Asuka's mind to ensure secrecy. She had watched this placidly, the emptiness within her feeling larger.  
  
She remembered yesterday's official meeting, where Jimmy had 'introduced' her to Asuka, claiming that they had been selected to be a perfect 3WA team. Rei had reacted the way Jimmy had asked her to, and had shown no signs that she recognised Asuka.   
  
Afterwards, Jimmy had told her the she might have to kill Asuka in order to complete the mission. Rei had agreed, but the feeling of emptiness inside her had grown stronger, almost overwhelming her with its intensity.   
  
For the past day, she and Asuka had worked together, trying to ferret out information on Shasti and later, as their objectives had changed, on Jimmy. Asuka had made it a personal goal to get her to show some emotion, to smile and laugh. Asuka herself appeared to be composed entirely of such emotions, showing very little of the reserve that Rei used to define herself.  
  
And all through this the hollowness within her had gotten larger and larger. When she had smiled at Asuka, she had felt a throbbing pain. When she'd laughed at something Asuka had said, the pain had increased. Even though she knew that this was the goal of the experiment, this was what the Central Computer had wanted to happen, it had still hurt.  
  
Now, as she ran up the corridor towards Jimmy's office, the pain was making it difficult for her to see clearly. The massacre of the Jimmy clones, Asuka's attacking her and screaming about being betrayed...all of these events pressed in on Rei, making her almost faint with pain. She could feel tears running down her face, but knew that they were from the pain, not from any emotion she might feel. She had never felt more empty than she did right now.  
  
Rounding the corner, she noticed that Jimmy's outer office had been entirely destroyed, indicating that Asuka had already been through here. Rei advanced through the rubble and peered into the inner office, leaning on the door to prevent herself from falling over.  
  
At first, the office appeared to be entirely deserted. For a moment Rei feared that Jimmy had captured Asuka and taken her with him to the new base of operations. Then she heard a movement to her right. She turned, expecting the worst.  
  
Asuka was there, spread eagled against the wall. A dagger-like object pierced one hand, holding it in place. A pair of scissors had been driven through the other hand. Her feet were pinned by what appeared to be fountain pens, ink mixing with blood as it trickled. There ware also two other major wounds, one in her side and the other in her left thigh. She raised her head, and Rei could see that she also had a gash there. Her eyes filled with tears. "Rei..." she managed to croak.  
  
Rei stood rooted to the spot, too shocked to move. "As...Asuka?"  
  
Asuka's eyes pleaded with her. "H...help me..."  
  
And then Rei fell back as the pain consumed her, flowing through her veins like a raging flood.  
  
"NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"  
  
***  
  
Bast felt his blood chill when he first heard the scream. They had followed as quickly as they could, but it seemed that they were too late. And yet...that had not been a scream of despair. It had sounded more like a person in agonising pain. For a moment Bast had a horrible vision of arriving in the office only to see Jimmy standing over Rei's corpse, moving the gun up towards him.  
  
When they arrived, however, the office appeared to be empty aside from Rei. She was crumpled on the floor in a foetal position, writhing and clutching her head as though in agony. Bast went to her side, attempting to see if she'd been shot, but she seemed to be uninjured. Her eyes were wide open, and her mouth voiced a silent scream.  
  
"Oh, my God..."  
  
Bast turned around to find the source of the voice, just in time to see Cory stumble over to the edge of the office and throw up. He looked over towards Lazarus, who was looking very subdued. Then he saw her.  
  
He barely managed to restrain his own nausea. Seeing Asuka pinned to the wall like some exotic butterfly drove home the true extent of Jimmy's insanity. Temporarily abandoning Rei for the moment, he walked over to Lazarus.  
  
"She can't have been there for very long. I'd say only about twenty minutes," Bast whispered.  
  
Lazarus frowned, going over to examine her. "Nevertheless, she's lost a lot of blood. Too much. Look at her, she's been shot in the side and the thigh, has a head wound, as well as the more obvious wounds. I'm trying to think how to get her down without causing more damage."  
  
Bast thought for a few seconds. He noticed Asuka still appeared to be conscious, muttering to herself in German. *Calling for her mother, poor girl,* he thought. He pounded his hand against the wall in frustration, and heard a hollow thump. Blinking, he examined the wall more closely.  
  
"We're in luck, if you can call it that. That section of wall is made of plastic fibreboard. We can cut it down, and use it as a makeshift stretcher while we get her to a hospital."  
  
Lazarus nodded. "Cory?" he said softly.  
  
A sob was the only answer.  
  
"Cory, I need you here." Bast noticed that Lazarus' face had softened, and he seemed to almost regret disturbing her.  
  
From the corner, Cory waved a hand in their direction. "I know, I know," she hiccuped. "Just...give me a second." After a few moments, she got up and stumbled towards them, wiping her face. "What can we do?"  
  
"Help me cut around the wall so that we can move her with the least chance of more blood loss. Also we need to find some sort of first-aid kit. Her head wound doesn't seem that bad, though we should keep her awake. The wound on her left side is more troubling. I can't tell how deep it is, but that's where the major blood loss is coming from. Believe it or not, the impalement wounds are the least of her problems."  
  
Cory nodded, and began to look around for some sort of cutting instrument.  
  
"I think there's a gun you could adjust the settings on in my old o office. Try to see if it survived the damage," Bast said.  
  
"Thanks," Cory said, and quickly ran out of the room. Bast looked after her with a worried expression. He then turned back towards Asuka, but before he could add anything something slammed into him from behind, sending him crashing into the remains of Jimmy's desk.  
  
He tried to roll with the blow and get back up, but in another second hands were around his neck, slowly cutting off his air. He frantically tried to throw them off, but couldn't get anywhere. Finally, in one last desperate burst of energy, he managed to throw his attacker back across the room before falling back down, gasping for air and massaging his throat.  
  
Looking up, Bast found himself staring at an enraged and tearful Rei. Lazarus held her in a strong armlock, but still she struggled to escape, her expression one of fury...the sight of such strong emotion...indeed, any emotion on her face sent Bast into a momentary stupor, and he stood there while she screamed at him.  
  
"You bastard! You knew this would happen! You set us up!"  
  
Bast stared at Rei, trying to figure out why she was suddenly acting this way. A look at Lazarus' face, however, showed him he should respond to her accusations.  
  
"I was trying to help you. But there wasn't much I could do, not without calling attention to myself." He was starting to stammer, trying to figure out a way he could put it. "I tried to do what I could, I gave you the information you needed to..."  
  
Rei cut him off again. Her voice was so choked with emotion, he had trouble making out her words. "You set it all up! You KNEW how Asuka would react! You must have known! And now she's...and I'm..."  
  
Suddenly Rei seemed to collapse, and Lazarus had to take her in both arms to keep her from falling to the floor. She began to cry, with heavy, choking sobs.  
  
Lazarus looked back towards Bast. Cory, who had just come back and caught the end of the scene, glanced over at him too.  
  
Bast felt the situation running away from him. He had known this was going to be difficult, but this was getting ridiculous. Rei an emotional wreck? *Rei*, of all people?  
  
Aloud, all he said was, "I did not want any of this to happen. You have to believe me."  
  
Equally calmly, Lazarus replied, "But did you arrange it so it could happen?"  
  
Sebastian got up slowly from the floor. "No. But I did know that it could."  
  
For a few moments, no one bothered to say anything. The only sound to be heard was Asuka's low muttering. Finally Cory moved over to Asuka and began cutting through the wall section, talking to her softly to try and keep her awake. Lazarus set Rei down in a corner, where she continued to sob, and began to search for a first-aid kit. Bast sat back down in the wreckage and put his head in his hands.  
  
After ensuring Rei would not try to attack Bast again, Lazarus sighed and touched a point near his neck.  
  
"Gay, come find us."  
  
***  
  
Cory sat down limply against the inside wall of Gay Deceiver. There weren't any seats available. Asuka was spread out over the back seat area, which had been set up for her, and Zeb and Deety were up front. Maureen was next to Asuka, prepping her for emergency surgery. Rei was with Lazarus and the twins in one of the bathrooms, while Bast occupied the other, being watched by Minerva and Deirdre.  
  
For a moment, Cory considered asking why a ship this small had two huge bathrooms in it, but then decided against it. She was too tired. Not just sleepy tired, but bone tired. She wanted to go back home, curl up on her couch and scream for the next month. She did _not_ want to go back to Boondock and help plan the next phase of this operation. She did not want to listen as everyone decided the best way to kill the clone who had ruined her life and had apparently scared Bast to death. She did not want to watch as more and more people came back from these missions dead or comatose or crippled.  
  
*It was just as bad the first time,* she thought morosely.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Cory sat by the bed, staring into Kei's face, and tried to figure out how everything had gone so spectacularly wrong.  
  
Kei just lay there, of course. Coma victims tended to do that. Her face still looked wrong, the capillaries pushed up to the surface, reminding everyone of the circumstances behind her collapse. Brain haemorrhage. She had felt her partner die, and because they were so closely emotionally linked, it affected her own mind. Now she lay there, Ishtar and the others waiting for her to wake up. If she ever did. They did not seem to be too hopeful.  
  
Cory kept repeating this information to herself, over and over. She hoped that if she did it often enough, she could find something, some sort of solution that would make everything better. But nothing came to mind. Hilda and the others said they were going to try again, try and redo history a second time, but that meant little to Cory. Yuri was dead. You couldn't 'undo' death. It was cheating.  
  
She wasn't really friends with them, of course. They only knew each other from these two assignments, and from the letters they'd written back and forth. Yet somehow Yuri's death hurt, hurt a lot more than it should have.  
  
Maybe it was the image that kept floating up in her mind. The image of Kei and Yuri, the day before the mission, working so smoothly as a team. Not merely a team, she corrected herself. They moved as if they were one being. And the look they had on their faces...it was an inner peace. Something which Cory suspected that they hadn't felt for years. Together, they were able to fight back the guilt and self- loathing that had gripped them. They comforted each other. They loved each other.  
  
And now that was gone. Yuri was dead. Kei lay here, still and unmoving. And all Cory could do was sit here and watch her, and try and figure out what could possibly have gone wrong.  
  
A movement behind her made her turn. Seeing who was standing there made her growl. "Lazarus, now is _not_ the time."  
  
"And what would be a better time? Miss Emerson, we are trying to save both of your friends. I know you find it hard to believe that we can do it, but it _is_ possible. We've already sent a team back to the station, this time 72 hours before the explosion. Hopefully they'll be able to determine the motivations. However, we still need your help. You know Kei and Yuri better than anyone here. You can tell us about them. About how to avoid this tragedy."  
  
Cory's mouth twitched, and for a moment she thought about hitting him. She spun on her heel and walked to the other side of the room. "Why not just watch all those old vids you have of them, or read the stories where we met. You don't need me at all. We're just fiction."  
  
Despite herself, she turned to gauge his reaction. He still looked at her with that same weathered gaze. At least he wasn't smirking this time.  
  
"Cory," he eventually replied, "I am fictional as well, supposedly. I've always refused to accept that. I suggest you do, too. Despite Hilda's claims, we live _real_ lives. If you stop thinking your life is real, then it ceases to be worth living. We need your help because no amount of videos, books or third-party accounts makes up for knowing a person. You knew the Angels. You were friends with them. Help us."  
  
Cory stood for a while, mulling over what he said. He was right, of course. Damn him. "Ask me nicely," she said.  
  
Lazarus blinked at her. "What?"  
  
"Just say 'please'. That's all."  
  
For a moment, she thought he'd refuse. She could see all of that nasty pride of his coming to the surface. Then he closed his eyes briefly. "Please, Cory. Help us."  
  
Cory allowed herself a brief smile. "All right." She looked back at the bed, and the smile vanished. Kei lay there, still as death. "All right, I'll help."  
  
***  
  
Cory looked at the storefront in front of her with disbelief. Lazarus had said that they were going to consult an expert on multiple realities and chaos theory, something which apparently factored into the botched mission. Cory had expected them to stop at a university or some such higher-learning institute.  
  
She had not expected a shop right in the middle of downtown Boondock, with a sign on the front reading 'Big Swifty & Associates: Trendmongers'. She wondered if this man would be any help at all.  
  
Her doubts only increased upon entering the shop. It appeared to have had a cyclone hit it recently. Papers were strewn everywhere, including the floor. There wasn't even a path, and Cory tried to tread lightly on the manuscripts as she walked in. Lazarus seemed untroubled by all the mess, and walked right up to the front desk, ringing the bell.  
  
"Yes? Whad'ya want?" came the voice from the back room. It sounded rather bored.  
  
"Chris, we have an assignment for you," Lazarus replied.  
  
Suddenly there was a small crash from within the room, and a face poked out the door. "Lazarus! Haven't seen you in quite some time! Reality trouble again, huh?"  
  
The proprietor stuck his head back into the room. "Sheila, put the kettle on!" he shouted, and then came out to meet them. Sticking out a grimy hand, he grinned at Cory. "Nice to meet you. Chris Davies, Professor of Chaos Theory and Temporal Predictions."  
  
She took the hand warily. Sure enough, it seemed slightly sticky. "Um...Cory Emerson, reporter."  
  
"With the Pair, right? I remember that series." He didn't seem to notice the glare Cory gave him, but simply sat down on a chair in the corner that hadn't even seemed to have been there before. He stared at his hand for a moment and then wiped it on his jacket.  
  
"Sorry about that," he grinned at her. "You know what they say, 'melts in your mouth, not in your hands'. Rubbish, if you ask me." He put his feet up on a nearly pile of paper. "So, Lazarus, what can I do you for?"  
  
Lazarus seemed to take the man's eccentricities in stride. "Well," he said, "as you can imagine from Cory's presence, the problem concerns the Lovely Angels, Kei and Yuri. As well as their home universe."  
  
Chris nodded. "16, I think that one is. Let me check. SHEILA!!!"  
  
"TEA!!!" came an equally loud voice from the back room. Cory looked up to see a rather statuesque redhead standing in the doorway, an angry expression on her face and a tea tray in her hands. Cory wondered if she was related to the ten or twelve other statuesque redheads she'd seen since she arrived here. *To think I once thought Kei's looks were rather unusual...*  
  
Chris got up, snatching the tray from her hands. "Get me the files on Universe 16, double quick. Should be next to that Lincoln Log cabin."  
  
Lazarus interrupted. "And while you're at it, find me any information you can on probability-altering entities."  
  
Chris paused, staring back at Lazarus. "Ah, so that's what this is all about." He nodded at Sheila, who went back into the back room, a truculent expression on her face. Passing out the tea, he smiled at Lazarus. "Tell me everything."  
  
As Lazarus explained how they had arrived at the current situation, Cory noticed Chris' expression getting more and more serious. When Sheila arrived with a large stack of files, he barely acknowledged it, merely nodding for Lazarus to continue.  
  
As Lazarus finished, Chris sat back in the chair and let out a sigh. "Well, I suppose it couldn't have been helped. Still, I wish you'd called me before attempting anything like this. You knew those two were probability-generators."  
  
Cory blinked. "Excuse me, but what is a probability-generator? Or probability-altering entity?"  
  
"Same thing," Chris said, passing her a folder. Seeing it had tomato-sauce stains all over it, Cory declined. "There are certain people who can affect reality. Or rather, affect the way it reacts around them. It's not exactly a beneficial power, it just exists. Think of them as luck generators. The luck is usually good, to a greater or lesser degree, for them personally. On the other hand, because dropping luck all over the place is a serious drain on entropy, it tends to have a counteractive effect on those around them. You know the Pair's reputation, Cory. They get the job done. They solve the case. But frequently, the planet blows up around them. It's that sort of thing."  
  
He sighed, flicking through more folders. "The thing is, even the definition I gave you isn't entirely true. That would imply that it can be predicted, which it can't. Every probability-generator is different. Usually there's only one or two of them in any universe at any given time, which is a godsend."  
  
He passed a bunch of folders to Lazarus. "Help me find the Pair, would you? They're in here somewhere. Doesn't help that I don't know their last names..." Apparently the lesson had ended, because Chris now flipped through the folders at an incredible rate, muttering to himself. "Teela Brown...Mihoshi Kuramitsu...Justy Ueki Tylor...the _entire_ population of Sagussa..."  
  
Finally he looked up. "Aha! Here we are! And coincidentally, Lazarus, they're right next to Long, comma, Lapis Lazuli and Lorelei Lee." He coughed pointedly as he said this, then got serious again. "Which brings me to my point."  
  
Leaning forward, he passed Lazarus the folders. "You had the Pair, two well-known probability generators, and your two daughters, who are _also_ probability generators, on the same mission. In a sense, you're a very lucky man. You escaped with only one dead and one in a coma. The four of them together could have meant the end of that universe."  
  
Lazarus' brow wrinkled. "You mean we can't put them together."  
  
"Nope. The effects of one of these teams is bad enough on their universes. Putting together two of them...two pairs of two for God's sake...and hoping to succeed...well, there was no way. I could talk to you for an hour on why chaos theory would prevent it, but suffice to say, it would never have succeeded.  
  
"However, I don't see how this affects your _current_ mission. You're trying to go back and prevent this from happening. Fine. Gives me a headache thinking about it, but fine. But Yuri is dead, and Kei is in a coma. They won't be affecting it. And I'd recommend leaving the twins behind as well this time. That way, the mission should succeed on its own merits."  
  
"Despite having the twins and the Angels already there, trying to complete it for the first time?" Lazarus said, a doubtful tome creeping into his voice.  
  
Chris paused with the teacup halfway to his lips. "Ah. Good point. Sorry, wasn't thinking temporally. Hm."  
  
And for the next ten minutes, he didn't seem to move. Cory looked over at Lazarus, but he was too busy reading the files Chris had given him on Kei and Yuri. With a shrug, Cory reached down and started to read one of the many papers that had fallen to the floor.  
  
That was why she nearly jumped out of her seat when Chris shouted again. "AH HAH! Got it! You need a probability dampener!"  
  
Lazarus had jumped as well, but now seemed to be recovered. "Elaborate, please," he said.  
  
"A probability dampener. Opposite of what we're talking about. When they're around, weird stuff ceases. The world flows logically. That sort of thing."  
  
"Can we get someone like that on such short notice?"  
  
A grin split Chris' face. "Sailor Pluto?" Noticing the stern gaze Lazarus returned to him, he went on. "Ah well, had to try. But seriously, not a problem. Probability generators are so rare because of their unpredictability. But since it operates on probability- _dampening_ principles, a dampener can be built. No people necessary."  
  
Lazarus stood up. Cory noticed for the first time how tense he seemed. Apparently he wasn't all that happy to be here either. "How long before you can get one of these things?"  
  
Chris had buried his nose in another file, and waved a hand absentmindedly. "Take that one off of the bookcase. I haven't used it in donkey's years, so..."  
  
Cory felt her temper building up again. It was a familiar feeling that she could take comfort in. "If you had it all along, why did you make us wait so long? Why all the technical talk? Why not just say 'use this'?"  
  
Chris grinned at her again. "I try and get my fun whenever I can, Miss Emerson." Then, to her amazement, he winked. "Good luck."  
  
***  
  
Cory stopped dead in her tracks, feeling her anger rise. After leaving Davies' establishment they had walked along for almost two hours, Cory following Lazarus' increasingly complex directions. And now they appeared to simply be back at the Long residence. She rounded on her companion.  
  
"Was there a point to that? Why didn't we just go back the way we came?"  
  
Lazarus seemed unruffled. Earlier, he'd appeared to be showing Cory a bit of kindness, but that was gone now. "We couldn't go back right away. Things weren't ready yet."  
  
Cory blinked. "I don't understand."  
  
"You will." Lazarus smirked. "Just go through that door."  
  
Cory growled. She'd never used to be this bad-tempered, but something in Lazarus brought out the worst in her. Turning, she saw a side door she hadn't noticed before. It had a picture on its front of a snake eating its own tail. *Charming*, Cory thought.  
  
She turned back to tell Lazarus where he could stick his door, but the man was gone.  
  
She looked at the door again. *I should just forget about it. Go back into the house through the _front_ door and check up on Kei. I don't have to do what he says*. But even as she was thinking this, she found herself walking towards the door and opening it. Her curiosity was getting the better of her once again.  
  
Through the door looked to be a perfectly ordinary hallway, with another door at the far end. As soon as Cory stepped into the hall, the door behind her melted away and vanished, leaving behind a blank expanse of wall. Thumping the wall once in frustration, Cory stalked down the hall towards the other door.  
  
Opening _that_ one proved to be far more interesting. This time Cory found herself in a huge circular room that resembled something from a government senate building. There was a raised dais towards the back which looked like it held the various speakers of power, and chairs all around the edge of the room. Cory noted with irritation that she seemed to be standing right in the middle of the room, and they hadn't even bothered to give her a chair.  
  
"Cory, welcome." Startled, Cory looked up. The chairs on the dais that had been empty just a moment before were now occupied. Lazarus sat in one of them, she noted with disgust. To her surprise, Hilda was in another. She also noticed Jubal Harshaw, the only one with a smile on his face. The rest seemed to be occupied by men and women of various races and types. A young woman with flowing robes and a tiara, an older man with dark green skin. All of them stared in her direction. Cory shivered, feeling like a lab rat that was being put through a maze to see if it was intelligent.  
  
Attempting to take some control of her situation, she marched over to the edge of the circle and sat in a chair. "What is this place?"  
  
Hilda seemed to be speaking for everyone. "This is an experimental organisation. We call it the Circle of Ouroboros."  
  
"Yeah, noticed the snake," Cory said, noticing that Hilda had not answered her question about where they were.  
  
Hilda went on as if Cory had not spoken. "Recently, humanity has come into possession of a device that can take people between universes. You've seen it in action; it brought you here. However, using the device seems to have brought unwanted attention to ourselves. There are certain...other parties that do not want us to have these abilities, and have taken steps to stop us, sometimes by any means necessary. The Circle was designed to take action against these others, and also recently to see if there was any way to alter some of these realities, trying to create a better place."  
  
Cory ran through that twice in her head, just to make sure she got it. "You mess with different universes."  
  
"Yes, although we haven't really started doing that yet. Most of this is purely hypothetical. Lapis Lazuli and Lorelei Lee were attempting a little experiment to see how much we could affect another universe. Unfortunately, you saw what happened when they arrived. Likewise, when we went back to try and correct the problem, we only succeeded in making things worse."  
  
Cory felt the edges of a headache coming on from trying to think in terms of time travel. "But I thought Lazarus told me we were going to go back and try a second time."  
  
Hilda smiled briefly. "He did, and we are." The smile vanished. "But there are more issues at stake here. Every time there is an intervention, paradox comes into play. To go back and try to fix things that first time was a major decision, but I felt it necessary; to see how much we had learned and how much we could do."  
  
"So saving lives had nothing to do with it?" Cory asked.  
  
This time it was Jubal who answered. "Of course it did. But you must understand, Cory, we have to think of the big picture. More important than saving the lives of the people on the station was ensuring that the timeline ran smoothly. If that station had been meant to blow up with a thousand people aboard, we would have let it happen."  
  
Getting nervous, Cory responded, "So it wasn't meant to blow up?"  
  
Jubal smiled again. "No, it wasn't. In fact, in the timeline we first saw, the Lovely Angels weren't there at all. Not that they _caused_ the disaster - although we did examine that as a possibility. But somehow their presence on the station accelerated things to the point that whoever set off that bomb panicked. _Someone_ hired the Angels - apparently to investigate. And that would certainly be enough to panic me." He grinned.   
  
Cory wanted to snarl, but found herself reluctantly agreeing with him. *Wait a minute, then who hired 3WA for the job? Kei and Yuri said it was an odd situation in the first place...* She decided to file that away in her brain for later.  
  
Hilda jumped back in. "What Jubal is trying to say is that there are at least a dozen factors that need to go into this rescue - _one_ of which is trying to save your friends."  
  
"Is there a reason you need me here?" Cory asked. Her headache was getting worse, and she really wanted to go lie down.  
  
Lazarus frowned. "Yuri is dead. Kei is in a coma. As the only other person from their universe, you are the one who has to speak for them."  
  
Cory didn't like the way this was heading. "And...?"  
  
"And we need your permission to attempt a rescue."  
  
Cory blinked. "Um...granted?"  
  
"It's not as simple as that, Cory," Lazarus said. "If we attempt a rescue, it's still going to affect them. We're still not entirely sure about the laws of paradox. Let me put it like this. We go back, make sure the station doesn't blow up, and save Yuri. We then return to Boondock. Yuri is no longer dead."  
  
Nodding slowly, Cory tried to get her mind around the situation. "Gotcha."  
  
Lazarus then fixed her with a cold stare. "Now - what about Kei?"  
  
"Well, she would - " Cory stopped. What would happen to Kei? "She'd...um...not be in a coma anymore."  
  
"Possible, but unlikely." Lazarus continued to stare at her, refusing to let her avert her gaze. "What other possibilities are there?"  
  
*Unlikely?* Cory thought. "Well...if she _is_ still in a coma, Yuri's presence should snap her out of it."  
  
"More likely that Yuri's mind will feel Kei's upon arrival in Boondock and she'll collapse as well. Yuri is just as linked to Kei as Kei is to her."  
  
Cory's head felt like someone was pounding on it with a metal pipe. "Well...why not rescue Kei as well as Yuri? Back on the station, I mean? Then you could bring them both back, and - "  
  
"And what happens to the Kei here?" Lazarus broke in. "That would mean two Keis. Which one is real? For that matter, what if they met? Could they co-exist? We tried that once, and the person involved was killed. We don't want to try it again."  
  
Hilda said, "That's why we're concentrating on only rescuing Yuri and stopping the bomb. The last mission never found the bomb in time, and Yuri was a ways away from them when it went off. There's still a considerable danger of co-existence, but if we concentrate _only_ on Yuri and the bomb, we should be all right. We have a surveillance team there now finding out exactly what the bomb crisis was all about."  
  
Now Cory was puzzled. "It's that organisation - the Bureaucratic Watchdog Office. They were going to..." She trailed off as she noticed Lazarus shaking his head.  
  
"Whoever planned to set off that bomb, it was _not_ the BWO. I don't know what information you three received, but it was probably false. As I said, someone wanted the Angels there, so I suspect they set up a phoney situation to ensure that they would be present."  
  
Cory slumped back in her seat. "So what is the reason?"  
  
"We're trying to find out," Jubal replied.  
  
For a few minutes, Cory just sat there. "What you want me to do is give permission for this rescue, knowing that in all likelihood it will cripple Yuri as well as Kei. Furthermore, you want me to speak for the Angels as well, giving their permission to do this to them."  
  
"Yes," Lazarus said. "As the alternative is Yuri being dead and Kei still in a coma, I think the choice is obvious." Hilda glared at him but said nothing.  
  
They waited while Cory gathered her thoughts. *Why are they doing this to me? Well, because they have to get permission, and I'm the closest thing to next of kin at the moment.* She sighed, and put her head between her knees. *Gods, what's going to happen? What if they never recover? I'll have been responsible...why isn't there some other answer?* She imagined Yuri in a bed next to Kei, both of them blank, unmoving...being fed intravenously for the rest of their lives until their bodies decided to stop. She shuddered and was almost sick.  
  
Then she thought of Yuri, blown up on the space station and dead. And Kei's scream as Yuri was ripped from her mind.  
  
She looked back up at the group, blinking back tears. Lazarus was the face she focused on, staring back at her implacably. God, she hated him.  
  
"Fine. I give you permission to do this."  
  
And having said that, she slumped back into her chair, closed her eyes, and began to cry in earnest.  
  
***  
  
A day or so later, Cory stood by the door of the Dora, wondering what gods she had insulted to get to this point. Lazarus had asked for her to accompany the team on the mission, in order to get Yuri back to Boondock.  
  
Cory had attempted to argue her way out of this. She might occasionally crave excitement, but Kei's fate had brought home to her how dangerous this actually was. The thought of going back onto that station and getting blown up scared the willies out of her. Who's to say that they wouldn't cut their losses and give up after this attempt?  
  
Lazarus was determined, however, and for once Hilda didn't argue with him. "Cory, think about what happened last time. Yuri will be in a state of panic. What had been a cut and dry mission has suddenly turned deadly. We could try to intercept her, but she hasn't known us for very long. Kei is in a coma. You are there to reassure her and get her back onto Dora."  
  
Cory grumbled. "Why not just whack her over the head and drag her back?"  
  
"What would your reaction be if we did that to you?"  
  
That brought Cory to a halt. She'd be livid. They were only trying to be nice to Yuri. She sighed. "Fine, I'll go."  
  
That having been settled, she then tried to pick apart every aspect of their plan. "What about the spy team you said you placed there? It's been there for 3 days, gathering information. Wouldn't they be ideal for this team?"  
  
Lazarus was already shaking his head. "Cory, the reason that spies are successful is that they are _spies_. They aren't fighters, or bomb defusers. They're people who know how to remain unobtrusive and gather necessary information. We can't afford to let them be part of the team, it might give them away in case we need them for future missions. I've told you that we're being monitored by our enemies."  
  
Cory rolled her eyes. "Who _are_ these enemies of yours? You make it sound like a bad action thriller."  
  
Lazarus started to snap at her, then stopped himself. Rubbing his temples, he continued in a calmer tone. "As far as we've been able to discover, there are three other groups that, like us, have the ability to travel between times and dimensions. The ones calling themselves the 'Time Lords' just want to stop us from using the devices to change histories. The 'Scene Changers' want to eradicate us. And we're not sure about 'The People'. So far, all they've done is ask us for the recipe for our suspicious yellow dip."  
  
Cory looked at Lazarus for a moment in case he was putting her on, but he seemed to be completely serious. "So, because you want this to remain hidden as much as possible from these groups, you aren't using the same team as the one that did surveillance."  
  
"Exactly," Lazarus said.  
  
Trying to think of the next answer to her unspoken question, Cory went on. "And that's why we're not taking any fancy tech from this time back to the station. In case the other groups can sense it."  
  
Lazarus nodded. "That's one of the reasons. More likely, however, is that our detecting and defusing equipment would be completely useless."  
  
That startled Cory. "What?"  
  
"Cory, if you took the most advanced, high-tech device your people have for detecting explosives and other such devices, and took it back to the time of Alexander the Great to find a bomb, would you be successful? Think how those devices work."  
  
Cory's brow furrowed for a moment. "It wouldn't pick up anything. It would be looking for 22nd-century technology, not...um...minus- fourth."  
  
"Right," Lazarus nodded. "Our equipment is calibrated completely differently from yours in the first place, as they are different universes. Your universe is much more reliant on cybertechnology implants, for instance. We never advanced in that direction."  
  
Cory opened her mouth to say something else, and saw a brief look of frustration flash across Lazarus' features. She held back, realising she'd tormented him enough. There was a big difference between getting on Lazarus' nerves and just being a bitch. "OK, fine. I guess I'm all set."  
  
Lazarus sighed in relief. "We should be ready to move in about eight hours. You might want to get some sleep. And remember, your job is to find Yuri and get her back to Dora. If luck holds out, you won't even have to run across the bomber. Short and sweet."  
  
***  
  
For the most part, the mission had been short and sweet. Although the spy team Lazarus and company had sent in couldn't give them a precise location of the bomb, they were able to pinpoint an area, and guarantee that at the time of the squad's arrival, the bomb had already been planted. As Lazarus muttered to her, "It would be really embarrassing to arrive at the right place and discover he hadn't even planted the bomb yet."  
  
The bomb took a lot longer than they had planned. It was filled with failsafes and backups that insured that the defusers would not be able to do what they were doing. Finally Lazarus had to leave them there and hope for the best. He then took a few others and went in search of the bomber.  
  
There wasn't much Cory could do until the bomb was scheduled to go off. Right now, in another part of the station, Kei, Yuri, Laz and Lor were preparing to ambush the wrong people. Cory couldn't risk going in and changing that. Apparently there was a difference between changing things and REALLY changing things.  
  
So she was waiting in the corridor by herself, trying not to do anything that would attract attention. Unfortunately, some guy chose that moment to breeze around the corner at full speed, slamming into her and knocking her to the floor.  
  
Cory smashed into the wall and lay there for a few moments, trying to get her breath back while thinking up a few more amusing tortures for the entire male gender. Opening her eyes, she found the man staring at her with his mouth wide open. Cory looked behind her, wanting to see what had him so amazed. That was when he grabbed her by the throat.  
  
"YOU! You were that reporter who was giving him a hard time! You drove him to this! He was...he was..."  
  
Cory tried to understand what the man was saying, but it was difficult as he had her about two feet off the ground and she was struggling to breathe. He finally lowered her, but kept a choke hold on her neck as he moved down the corridor.  
  
"He's holed himself up in his room. He won't even let me speak to him! How are we supposed to negotiate with Ms. Mizuno if he hides like this?! How..." he paused, a catch in his voice, "how am I supposed to see her? I was going to finally meet her in person!"  
  
Cory was desperately scrabbling at her throat, trying to throw him off, but his other arm had her in a lock behind her back, so she mostly ended up flailing about. *Why didn't I take Kei and Yuri up on that offer to teach me to fight?* She looked into his eyes and began to seriously worry; the man was obviously unhinged. She had a nagging suspicion that this was their bomber. He was headed for Lawson's room, and was certainly crazy enough. Where was everyone? For a packed space station, the corridors certainly were deserted.  
  
The man finally released his hold on her neck, but only to open the door in front of them. Cory renewed her struggles, but he was just too damned strong. Bursting into the room, the man immediately started in on a fresh rant.  
  
"Boss, it's OK! I found the reporter who bothered you so much! Now we can get back to - urk!?"  
  
For a moment, Cory thought she was going to die right there. The guy's arm closed around her neck, almost managing to snap it in half. Her vision began to turn red, but that didn't prevent her from seeing what had caused him to tense up. Two people were sitting up in bed, apparently naked, and looking very post-coital. Cory certainly recognised them. It was Richard Lawson and Ami Mizuno, and suddenly the chat show's talk of 'mergers' had a whole new meaning.  
  
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then Cory found herself yanked across the room, as the man leaped to avoid shots from Lazarus and the rest of his team. Cory almost cried out in pain; that last jerk had sprained her wrist at the very least.  
  
Lazarus looked unruffled. "Give it up, Loader. Just come with us."  
  
Loader wasn't listening, but was instead adjusting his grip on Cory in order to reach inside his jacket and produce a small box-like device. "I warn you, I have..."  
  
Lazarus wouldn't let him finish. "You have a device connected to a disarmed bomb. It's too late." Cory visibly relaxed. They'd done it. Unfortunately, this just seemed to upset Loader even more, and he continued to tighten his grip on Cory. Cory looked to Lazarus for some sort of assistance, but he seemed to be chuckling. Cory began to do a slow burn.  
  
Loader was angry as well. "What's so funny?"  
  
Lazarus gave a small grin. "I was just wondering if Miss Emerson was going to deal with you the same way she dealt with me."  
  
Loader, puzzled, looked down, expecting Cory to suddenly pull some sort of judo move.  
  
For a moment, Cory was equally puzzled, and then suddenly realised what Lazarus was talking about. He had her arms, but her legs were still free.  
  
She quickly snapped her leg up as fast as she could, and was rewarded with a scream of pain from Loader as her foot connected with his groin. He let go of her, and she bolted over to the other side of the room. In seconds, several of Lazarus' team had him surrounded and restrained.  
  
Cory didn't have time to relax, though. Lazarus grabbed her and shoved her out of the door. "Yuri."  
  
Still somewhat dazed, Cory nodded and ran out of the room. Now that the crisis was past, she could afford to head towards the room where Kei, Yuri and the twins had cornered the Bureaucratic Watchdog Office. She could also afford to notice the pain in her wrist, which was excruciating. She tried not to move it too much.  
  
Turning a corner, she slammed into another body, flying across the corridor. Again. She also landed on her sprained wrist, and heard a bone snap. She cried out in pain.  
  
This time the other person helped her up. It was Yuri. "Cory, what are you doing here?"  
  
Cory gasped but managed to stand up. "Yuri, we've got to get back to the Dora."  
  
Yuri suddenly remembered why she had been running. "But the bomb! It's not -- "  
  
Cory cut her off. "It's OK. Lazarus took care of it. We're done here, mission accomplished."  
  
Yuri sighed, leaning up against the wall. "Thank God. And Mughi's all right too! For once everything went right!"  
  
Cory smiled wanly. "Yeah, everything's just peachy."  
  
"I'll go get Kei." Yuri started to head back, but Cory grabbed her.  
  
*I'll never forgive myself for this.* "Kei's already back on Boondock. She's...she's waiting for you."  
  
If Yuri noticed Cory's mood, she didn't say anything. She just nodded. "OK. Well then, let's get back to the Dora and get your wrist fixed up."  
  
Cory nodded and let her friend lead her back towards the ship. *I'm sorry, Yuri,* she thought.  
  
***  
  
Cory sat at the foot of the bed, staring at Kei's sleeping face. It was almost exactly the same as when she'd last visited, with one major exception; Yuri now occupied the other bed. As soon as they'd arrived back in Boondock, Yuri had screamed, clutched her head, and collapsed, blood streaming from her nose and mouth.  
  
Now they both lay here, unmoving. Kei still hadn't woken up. Nothing had changed. And Cory sat there staring at them, feeling like their executioner.  
  
A noise from behind her made her jump. Hilda was standing in the doorway, looking sombre. "Still no change?"  
  
Cory looked down. "No."  
  
Hilda walked in and placed a hand on Cory's shoulder. "I thought you'd want a final briefing, to show you what we learned."  
  
A choked laugh came from Cory's throat. "I couldn't care less what you learned. You succeeded, after all. The bomb didn't go off, mission accomplished. And hey, if two of the people never wake up, well, these things happen. After all, Cory gave us permission to fuck with their lives, so she knew -- "  
  
"Cory." Hilda's voice was firm, yes still a whisper. "Do you really believe that?"  
  
There was a long pause. "No. I don't even think Lazarus thinks that, though I wouldn't put it past him. I just..." Cory threw out a fist, hitting the wall. "There's nothing to do now but wait and hope they wake up. I haven't even thought about what I'll do if they don't."  
  
"You're welcome to stay here," Hilda said.  
  
"No." Cory's response was immediate. "No, I can't stay here. I don't...I don't accept what you do. I could never accept it. Manipulating people's history. Even if your motives are to save lives, I just...I couldn't stay here."  
  
Hilda smiled weakly. "I understand. You don't mind if we leave the offer open, though, do you?"  
  
Cory thought for a while, and then looked down at the woman. Even when both of them were sitting on the bed, Cory was still a good deal taller than Hilda. "No, I understand. Thank you."  
  
The two of them sat there like that for a while, and then Cory spoke up again. "All right, give me the briefing."  
  
Hilda continued to keep her voice low, but became somewhat more businesslike. "As you probably guessed, the origin of the problem *did* come from the Bureaucratic Watchdog Office. They were the ones who planted Loader in Mr. Lawson's office, and they were the ones who had him make the bomb. However, they had no idea that he had planted it. They were merely holding it in reserve until after the talks between Lawson and Mizuno's companies had taken place.  
  
"They knew that Loader was, as they put it, 'a weirdo', but for the most part they didn't worry about it. From what I understand, they're going to be more careful from now on."  
  
Cory snapped to attention at this. "What?! Why...why weren't they arrested?"  
  
Hilda shrugged. "Shortly after Loader's capture, the rest of the organisation seemed to disappear. We did manage to find one person, but he reminded us, and quite rightly too, that we couldn't afford to draw attention to ourselves by blowing the whistle on him."  
  
"Dammit," Cory sighed.  
  
Hilda moved on. "In any case, it appeared that our bomber was enamoured with Ms. Mizuno. He had been following her career for some time, and collecting press clippings. A regular John Hinckley."  
  
"Who?" Cory asked.  
  
"Never mind," Hilda said. "In any case, he was asked by Mr. Lawson to arrange these meetings in order to discuss a merger. He was delighted, because not only would he be able to help the BWO, but also to meet Ms. Mizuno.  
  
"And so the two came together, linked by Mr. Loader. Unfortunately, nobody knew the *real* reason for the merger meeting."  
  
Cory snorted. "They were screwing around."  
  
"Essentially, yes," Hilda smiled. "They'd been communicating for some time, and had arranged these 'talks' so that they could finally meet. Apparently it was love at first sight, because when we found them..."  
  
"Right." Cory could begin to see what had been going on. "*That* was why Lawson was acting like such a chowderhead when I questioned him. It wasn't about business, it was about romance."  
  
"Speaking of which," Hilda interrupted, "there wasn't a hope in hell that they could keep that secret what with the capture of the bomber. They went public with it, and announced both the merger and their engagement at the same time."  
  
"Good for them," Cory grinned. Then she remembered something. "I thought Loader was here. We brought him back with us."  
  
Hilda glanced over at the pair on the bed. "Yes, he is."  
  
"Then how did they announce this after his capture?"  
  
Another long pause followed. Finally Hilda spoke. "At the moment, the future of your universe is not completely set. If there's no change here within the week, then we'll find some other way to return Loader. But for now, Loader was captured by the Lovely Angels and brought to justice. Everyone was surprised that they managed to do it with so few casualties."  
  
Cory looked hopeful. "You mean they could still recover?"  
  
"Of course. Cory, comas are totally unpredictable in the first place. Add to that the fact that these two are the Dirty Pair..."  
  
"...lovely angels..."  
  
Cory and Hilda looked up. Kei and Yuri lay on the bed, still unmoving, but their eyes were open. They glared at Hilda weakly.  
  
"I'll go get Ish," Hilda said and wisely headed out of the room.  
  
Cory barely noticed her leaving. "You're all right!" she shouted, and ran over to hug both of them. She felt as if a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and realised that she was sobbing. She clutched at Kei and Yuri now, taking comfort.  
  
***  
  
It was quiet now. Cory had finally been convinced to get some sleep. Ish had examined the Angels and pronounced them on the mend. Now that they were awake, recovery would be fairly rapid.  
  
Physical recovery.  
  
They lay now, staring at the ceiling. No chatting with each other, they knew what was going through the other's head. They weren't totally telepathic with each other yet, but they were incredibly empathic. They knew each other better than they knew themselves.  
  
Kei was sad. And Yuri was scared.  
  
Yuri stared at the ceiling, her thoughts racing. She was terrified. The telepathic bond between them had almost killed Kei. Both of them had received the full story from Cory about what had happened. And it had scared Yuri half to death.  
  
Her own death didn't bother her as much. She had been prepared for it. Being a trouble consultant was a dangerous job, and even their fabled luck could only last so far. No, she had no fear of death.  
  
But Kei hadn't died. She'd collapsed from a brain haemorrhage and lain here in a coma. Cory said that if they hadn't gone back once more to rescue her, Kei might have lain there for the rest of her life.  
  
Because of Yuri's death. Because of Yuri.  
  
Yuri did not fear her own death, but the thought of her partner dying, or in a coma was too much to bear. She could never have anything like this happen again. No matter what.  
  
So she lay there, staring at the ceiling, knowing what she had to tell Kei. And knowing what Kei's response would be. What it had to be.  
  
"Kei?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'm going to ask Ishtar to suppress our abilities. So we can go back to what we were before."  
  
The pause seemed to last forever. No explanations, no rationalisations. None were needed.  
  
"All right."  
  
And Yuri sighed in relief. It would be all right now. Kei would never again die because of her. It would be all right.  
  
She finally dropped off to sleep, smiling slightly.  
  
In the bed next to her, Kei stared at the ceiling, tears glistening down her cheeks. She knew exactly what Yuri was feeling, exactly why she wanted the bond removed. And it didn't help one bit. But in the end she would do what Yuri wanted, in order to give her partner peace of mind. Even if something else had to be sacrificed.  
  
So Kei made sure to cry quietly, so as not to wake her partner.  
  
*I love you, Yuri.*  
  
***  
  
The Angels' recovery was surprisingly quick, given what they'd been through. Cory was there with then every day to help buoy their spirits, and Laz and Lor stopped by a lot as well.  
  
Ishtar and Minerva listened calmly to their request to suppress their empathic abilities. Both of them had been expecting something like this. Minerva tried her best to talk them out of the decision, but the two of them were adamant.  
  
Ishtar assigned their physical rehabilitation to Galahad, a young male doctor who fancied himself a bit of a lothario. He had a bad habit of walking around naked in front of everyone, and was constantly being reminded that there were guests in the hospital. He also took a shine to Yuri, much to her chagrin, and she spent the next few days trying to fight off his attempts to charm her.  
  
Kei and Yuri threw themselves into their combat training, forcing themselves to relearn the old techniques that they had abandoned when they gained their empathic abilities. It was very difficult, even though they had used them for only a short amount of time. Minerva explained to Cory that their subconscious didn't want to give up the link that easily, and they were forcing it into submission.  
  
Cory only attended one of these sessions. It was too hard for her to watch, after she'd seen the way they worked before. Seeing the two of them choose to deliberately lobotomise themselves like this, no matter how much pain they thought they were avoiding...Cory just couldn't watch them do this.  
  
***  
  
Finally, they were ready to return. Cory had her doubts as to the mental stability of the Angels, but Minerva assured her that things should be all right. "They have their reasons for doing this, and we're accepting them. But I don't think they'll be able to move on. In a year or two, perhaps, I think they'll realise their mistake."  
  
"Yeah, but by that time it'll be too late. We can't just pop two universes over any time we want, you know," Cory grumbled.  
  
Minerva didn't respond, but her eyes twinkled.  
  
At that point the Angels arrived at the spaceport, escorting their prisoner. Loader had a haunted look in his eyes, but for once did not look dangerous. Cory looked questioningly at Kei, who grinned.  
  
"We decided to play him a clip Lazarus obtained of Lawson and Mizuno's press conference announcing their engagement. It seemed to take all the fight out of him."  
  
"...shut up..." muttered Loader.  
  
Cory stiffened at the mention of a certain name. "Speaking of which..."  
  
"No, Cory, Lazarus will not be here to send you off." Hilda came in, leading two big men who seemed to be carrying the biggest gyroscope Cory had ever seen, with little extra twiddles added onto it for good measure.  
  
Cory tried to look casual. "Too busy to see us off?"  
  
Hilda glared at her, and Cory stepped back a little. "Actually, Miss Emerson," Hilda said frostily, "it seems that he didn't want to come here because he refused to deal with you."  
  
"What a coincidence," Cory found herself saying without thinking.  
  
"Yes, isn't it." Hilda sighed. "Cory, I realise that you've been through a harrowing experience. But Lazarus Long, despite his supposed treatment of you, is not the reason for it."  
  
"Can we let this drop?" Cory had gotten sick of discussing Lazarus.  
  
"Of course." Hilda turned back to the Angels. "Now, normally we would never even think of doing this. This is an incredibly new prototype, and their are only four of them in existence."  
  
One of the men carrying the strange device grinned. "Well, there _were_ five, but there was that business with Mister Becerra..."  
  
Hilda turned around, "Zebbie," she said sweetly, "may I see you after all this is done?"  
  
The man gulped. "Aye aye, captain."  
  
"Thank you." She turned and gave her attention back to the Angels. "However, there are far too many unanswered questions about this case, the primary one being why you were assigned to it in the first place. The Circle has given an 87 percent probability to it being that someone wanted you to meet Laz and Lor, and wanted this to happen."  
  
Cory blinked. "Whoa there. How could they possibly know you even existed? We don't have magic universe hopping machines."  
  
"Precisely," Hilda said, looking serious. "We don't know how they could know of our presence. And that is worrying." She moved to the device. "That's why we're giving you one of these. I'll have Zeb accompany you to your ship to help mount it."  
  
The Angels seemed to know about this beforehand, but Cory's jaw dropped. "You're giving us one of those? Um...I don't mean to look stupid, but isn't that kind of playing right into the hands of the enemy?"  
  
Hilda smiled. "We have installed a few precautions. For one, if anyone other than one of you three tries to operate this device, it will self-destruct. It's also heavily shielded against your universes' technology."  
  
Sighing, Hilda continued. "Cory, there is another reason we wanted the three of you to have this. We've gotten to like you while you were here, and sending you back felt rather cold after what you've been through. This is an escape. An emergency button. I don't want you to use it to visit us for no reason, but if your lives are ever again in danger, you can come here and we'll guarantee your safety."  
  
Cory stood there silently, trying to take this in. Despite her feelings about Lazarus, she really was regretting having to say goodbye to these people. It took the sting out of it to know that it might not be permanent. Plus it might help Kei and Yuri. They may look better, but Cory doubted it would last more than a year or two. This meant that there could be a way for them to change their minds again, and perhaps truly heal themselves.  
  
Kei and Yuri pouted when they heard that the device was a last resort. "You mean we can't use it for vacations? Come on! I have a long list of cute guys I've read about that I want to try to find!" Yuri swatted her.  
  
Hilda didn't smile. "I meant it. Life-endangering. Cory is right, it is a risk giving this to you. But we decided that it was worth it. You're our friends now." Now she smiled, and looked more her old self. Cory felt herself grinning too.  
  
Kei and Yuri straightened up. "Come on, let's get this yotz back to our universe and give him to the cops. All I want to do now is get back to Pacifica and beat on Goulet until he gives us a vacation," Kei said.  
  
Cory suddenly groaned. "Oh, God, my article!"  
  
Kei and Yuri blinked, and then they groaned as well.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Cory smiled as she thought about that day. God, had it really been that long ago? She had eventually decided to write up the article exactly as it had happened, leaving nothing out, and then requested it be filed with the Central Computer for security vetting. Within two days, she'd gotten an embarrassed call from Goulet saying that the entire article had vanished from the CC's databanks, and furthermore that it seemed, judging from the publicity surrounding Loader's arrest, that a puff piece on the Angels was no longer needed.  
  
Cory heard the pilots give orders in the cockpit, and knew that they would be instantaneously transported to Boondock, probably with Ishtar at the ready. She desperately wanted to sleep, but knew that Hilda would probably want to grill her.  
  
*Why,* she thought. *Why after all that happened last time did I decide to go on another mission? I'm no trouble consultant!*  
  
She looked over at Asuka, who was still breathing shallowly.  
  
*I don't need excitement like this,* Cory decided.  
  
***  
  
Yuri paced outside of Jamie and Bridget's door, trying to figure out how best to approach them. They would probably still be quite wary of her, considering they'd spent the past year dealing with her evil clone. She therefore needed to be as inoffensive and open as possible, in order to allay their suspicions.  
  
Walking through the door, she put on her best self-effacing grin. "Hi there! I just thought I'd see how the three of you were doing!"  
  
The reaction wasn't the best she had expected. Bridget seemed to flinch, and Jamie merely stared at her with a solemn expression. Even little Rachel was staying at the other end of the room, as far away from Yuri as she could get.  
  
This was turning out to be more difficult than she'd thought. Nevertheless, she continued.  
  
"Kei is in the other room watching over Zen, otherwise she'd be here as well. Um...you're looking much better."  
  
She was finding her conversational skills useless against the twin glares Jamie and Bridget were giving her. She finally decided to try and bring the subject out in the open.  
  
"Look, I'm really sorry about what you had to go through with the clones. We tried to see if there was a way we could arrive and rescue you sooner, but there wasn't. But I'm Yuri, not a clone." Jamie and Bridget continued to stare coldly at her. She gulped. "I'm really me, I mean. There's no reason to be afraid anymore."  
  
Far from soothing them, this seemed to agitate the two of them even more. Bridget got up from the chair where she'd been sitting, and picked Rachel up bodily. "Rachel, let's go get something to eat."  
  
Rachel looked back at Yuri for a moment, then said "Okay." The two of them breezed right by an open-mouthed Yuri, leaving her alone with Jamie.  
  
She turned and started to go after them, but Jamie stopped her. "Yuri, we have to talk."  
  
Yuri shook him off. "That's what I've been trying to _do_!"  
  
"No, you're trying to gloss everything over and pick up where you left off. Well, it doesn't work that way. Sit down."  
  
Yuri was stunned at the coldness in his voice. She found herself sinking into a seat.  
  
Jamie put his hands to the bridge of his nose, as if trying to decide where to begin. "Yuri, according to what we've heard, about a year ago, by our time the two of you escaped to this universe, and Jimmy replaced you with clones. Right?"  
  
This was something Yuri could handle. "Right. Though it's only been a month or so for us. Something about different timestreams, Hilda said..."  
  
Jamie went on as if she hadn't spoken. "These clones replaced the two of you for almost a year. No one seems to notice. Yet you claim these clones are evil versions of you, and that we should trust you now that we're back to the 'real' Lovely Angels."  
  
He sighed. "Yuri, no one noticed that you'd been replaced with clones because they weren't all that much different. They were still the bouncy, upbeat, slightly airheaded girls we'd been dealing with for years. Zen knew the two of you were different, but he thought you'd simply lost it...gone cold. It never occurred to him that they weren't _you_."  
  
Yuri stared at Jamie, trying to make sense of his words. The clones were undetectable? _No one_ knew the difference? "But...but I mean, we would never do the things they did! They killed BILLIONS of people!"  
  
"And you two have killed millions. It's all a matter of degree. Besides, the Central Computer investigated those deaths, and you know what? It wasn't their fault. Exactly the same verdict it gives when you two inadvertently destroy a small city."  
  
"Stop it," Yuri whispered. She put her hands over her ears, but Jamie reached out and grabbed her arms. She looked up to find his eyes boring into hers.  
  
"When was the last time the two of you refused an assignment on ethical grounds? We're allowed to do that, you know. And the 3WA has gotten involved in some pretty shady things. _Every_ agent, at one point, has had a case they simply won't allow themselves to take.  
  
"Except you two. You were the poster children of the 3WA, showing off your bodies and your guns. You took every assignment they gave to you. You usually didn't even read the particulars until you were almost at the mission site. You were the perfect employees."  
  
Suddenly, Yuri felt a rush of anger well up through her. She got up, and before she could stop herself belted Jamie across the face, sending him into a wall. She realised she was crying.  
  
"How could you say that! We were never that cold! Each of those missions affected us!" she screamed.  
  
Jamie screamed right back at her, startling her. "How the fuck were we supposed to know that? You never told us! You never allowed anyone to get close to the two of you! Zen was the only one who claimed he knew what you two were really like! Every time _we_ talked, you two were the happy, bouncy, friendly outer shells you've always been. There was never any trace of regret, of sadness. Where was it? We were supposed to be your friends, yet you never once opened up to us!"  
  
Yuri began to feel a little sick. His words hit her like bricks, shattering her defences. She slumped to the wall in a half-crouch. "I...we never meant to..."  
  
Jamie sighed. "No, you didn't. But it didn't help. You've never let anyone see the real you, Yuri. This is the first time I've ever seen you sad. Why didn't you let us see that side of you?"  
  
There was a long pause. "I don't know."  
  
"Neither do I, Yuri. But don't expect everything to suddenly be back to normal between us. There is no more normal. I'm sure Bridget and I would love to talk to you sometime if you can let your defences drop enough to really talk. But you've never been able to do that. And that's why the clones were so successful. They were almost perfect."  
  
That last sentence made Yuri drop to the floor. She sobbed for a few moments, then got shakily to her feet and fled, heading for Zen's room.  
  
Jamie looked at her run, and sighed. "Rats." He then went off to find his wife and daughter.  
  
***  
  
Kei sat and stared at Zen, willing her to regain consciousness. It didn't seem to be helping much. Ishtar had told her that they'd managed to heal Zen's physical injuries, but she was still locked up mentally. Minerva had tried to coax Zen out of it, but it hadn't worked.  
  
"Too many times when her trust has been violated...and then to have her world turned upside down by the surprise appearance of you two...I'd say she's simply refusing to wake up. There's not much we can do." There had been a hint of something else in Ishtar's voice when she'd said those words, though.  
  
Kei hadn't said anything; she knew what Ish wanted to say. Zen trusted them. Even after all this time. She and Yuri could get inside Zen's head, and help pull her back out. But that would require the reawakening of their empathic powers. And Kei simply refused to entertain the possibility of that happening. Yuri didn't want it, and Kei loved her enough to respect that decision.  
  
So she sat there and looked at Zen, and tried not to think. About anything.  
  
Unfortunately, her not-thoughts were interrupted by Yuri smashing into the room like a hurricane and collapsing into a corner, sobbing. Forgetting about all her inner turmoil for the moment, Kei ran over to help Yuri. She hugged her while whispering in her ear. "Hey, hey, it's okay, it'll be all right. What happened? What's the matter?" She couldn't imagine anyone upsetting Yuri this badly.  
  
Yuri eventually stopped and looked up at Kei, her eyes rimmed with red. "Kei, I'm an open person, right?"  
  
Kei hesitated for only a split second, but it was enough to send Yuri off onto another crying jag. Kei sighed and simply hugged her tighter.  
  
Sniffing, Yuri switched from sobbing to pouting. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't anyone tell me?"  
  
"It's not exactly something you bring up in conversation, Yuri." Kei was treading around this conversation very carefully. It brought to the fore all the things she'd been trying not to think about. "You can't just say, 'Gee, you know that your sunny, open personality is really just a front you put up to hide how you really feel'." Kei paused again. "Besides, I tend to do the same thing."  
  
Yuri looked at Kei in disbelief. "Oh, come on! You're always open about the way you feel!"  
  
"About the way I want to feel, maybe. About how I want to be seen. Yuri, let me ask you something. How many friends did we have in the 3WA?"  
  
"Lots! There's Zen, and Jamie and Bridget, and Maya - " Kei flinched - "and Lisa and Christine, and -- "  
  
Kei stopped her. "How many of those people would you say were close to us? Close enough to know how we really felt? Close enough to see beyond the 'Lovely Angels'?"  
  
Yuri didn't speak for almost two minutes. When she did, it was almost inaudible. "Zen. And you."  
  
"And even then..." The words were out of Kei's mouth before she could take them back.  
  
Yuri jerked out of Kei's arms. "What do you mean?"  
  
Changing the subject, Kei pointed up to the bed. "Ishtar said to me that they've done as much as they can for Zen. They've healed all of her physical injuries, but she's still in a coma. Minerva tried to use her empathic powers to bring Zen out of it. They even brought in Tamara. None of it is doing any good. Zen has locked herself up inside her own mind, and won't let anyone near her."  
  
Glancing over at Yuri, Kei saw that she was getting the picture. Her eyes were locked on a fixed point midway between Zen and Kei. Nevertheless, Kei continued.  
  
"We could save her, Yuri. Ish and Minerva only dampened our empathic powers, they didn't destroy them. Between the two of us, we could help drag Zen out of her own mind. If she trusts anyone, she'll trust us..."  
  
Kei broke off as she saw Yuri beginning to shake. A hint of uncertainty crept into her voice. She was trying to be the comforting, logical friend, but her own emotional barriers were close to breaking. "Yuri..."  
  
"NO!!!" The scream startled Kei. Yuri jumped to her feet, arms wrapped around her back. "I won't do it! We...we can't be like that again, because something might happen to us, and you might die!" Yuri looked into Kei's eyes. "I did it for you, Kei. I don't want you to die. And I don't want you to be a vegetable if I die. You need to..."  
  
Kei's walls finally broke. She continued to stare at Yuri, but could feel her breath coming in great, heaving sobs that she couldn't control. For a moment that was all she did, then she found herself able to speak.  
  
"You did that...for ME?!?! Are you that much in denial?!?! What makes you think I'd want to live without you? I love you! I love you still, even though you practically lobotomised me! I was the one who did it for _you_!!! I knew how scared you were, and I couldn't stand to see you like that, so I let you do it! And I thought you understood that!" Kei was screaming at the top of her lungs. "You say you did it for ME?!?! If you'd done anything for me, you'd have kept the link! I can't believe I thought you...YOU SELFISH BITCH!!!!!"  
  
The slap echoed across the room, but Kei couldn't hear it. Blood was rushing through her head, and she couldn't hear anything. She couldn't hear Yuri begin to collapse and sob on Zen's bed. Couldn't hear her footsteps as she ran out of the door. All she could hear was her own crying, which seemed as if it would never, ever end.  
  
***  
  
It took much less time for Yuri to finish her crying this time. Perhaps she'd finally hit a breaking point, where there were no more tears to give.  
  
She got up slowly off of the floor and looked at the comatose figure of Zen in the bed. Her lifesigns were normal, she was perfectly all right physically...but she wasn't responding.  
  
And Yuri was pretty sure she knew why now.  
  
She got up and began to walk down the hallways of the hospital with a slow, steady pace. To anyone who passed by, her eyes would appear to be totally unfocused. That didn't mean she was just walking, though. She was finding Kei. She knew she could do this, empathy or no. *Left, right, left, left, right...* she thought to herself as she continued down the hall. Finally she stopped next to a closed door, then pulled it open.  
  
She recognised the room almost immediately. It was the room where she and Kei had stayed the night when their powers had first been awakened; the room where she'd first confessed to Kei how scared she was; the room where Kei had admitted that she loved Yuri.  
  
Kei was here now, curled up on the bed with her arms around her knees, staring at the wall. Her eyes were red, but she didn't appear to be crying.  
  
Yuri came in and closed the door. Kei didn't seem to notice. Yuri then sat down on the other bed, curled up, and mirrored Kei's position, staring out at the opposite wall.  
  
For half an hour, neither of them moved nor spoke. Then Yuri finally broke the silence.  
  
"Am I really that much of a coward?"  
  
Kei didn't respond, but Yuri continued.  
  
"I mean, you hear about people who are scared about what others will think, or scared about what might happen to them. But I'm much worse than that. I'm scared of what _I_ might think. Scared of what I might really feel. So I pretend that I feel differently; that I have other reasons for doing what I do. I deny everything to myself, and hope that it will work, that it will shut out the pain."  
  
Kei finally reacted, rolling over to face Yuri. Yuri turned over as well, so the two of them were looking at each other. "No one can avoid pain, Yuri."  
  
Yuri stared into her eyes. "I know."  
  
Then Kei smiled. "But you can find other people to help you discover joy, which makes the pain bearable."  
  
Yuri couldn't take that smile. "Kei, I'm so sorry..."  
  
Kei broke in. "No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have said things like that to you, not when you were in a state of mind like that."  
  
"But everything you said was true! I was afraid, I couldn't even admit it to myself, and I ruined the bond between us because of that..."  
  
"Yuri, please," Kei said. Then she chuckled. "Y'know, we sound like that story by the candy bar guy."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"The one where the guy sells his watch to buy a brush for his wife, and she sells her hair to buy him a watch fob?"  
  
Yuri giggled despite herself.  
  
Kei continued. "We both keep thinking of each other, but only as objects. You were wrong, Yuri, you _were_ thinking of me when you made the decision to break our link. You didn't want to see me suffer again if you died. But you weren't thinking of what _I_ was thinking. That was the problem."  
  
There was another pause, while the two of them just looked at each other.  
  
Yuri broke it. "So, do you forgive me?"  
  
"Only if you forgive me," Kei said quietly.  
  
Suddenly the two of them moved at the same time, gathering each other up in a hug so tight it threatened to break their backs, though neither of them even noticed. Each just concentrated on holding her friend as tightly as she could.  
  
And then, without any warning, the link which had been so carefully suppressed by Minerva and Ishtar flared to life, and all of a sudden each was inside the other's head, thoughts, feelings, emotions, all cascading through them. They jumped with the contact, and trembled. All of the memories came back to them, and they suddenly had to devote their full attention to remaining themselves; to establishing their own identities. They nonetheless revelled in the restored link, taking solace in each other's feelings, and seeing that depth of feeling once again. Yuri knew then that there would never be any more secrets, least of all from herself. She could never give up this...this _joy_ again.  
  
They tumbled to the floor, temporarily exhausted by the feelings that had washed over them. Yuri's body and mind were tingling, and Kei felt the same way.  
  
Kei grinned. "Now why can't a _man_ ever make me feel like that?"  
  
Yuri smacked her thigh. "Ecchi."  
  
"Always. Why don't we go and get Zen out of her funk?"  
  
Yuri got up, still unable to remove the grin from her face. "That sounds like a great idea. I think I know what's wrong with her..."  
  
Kei nodded. "Ayep. And I've got a great idea for getting her attention..." As they left the room, she leaned over and whispered to Yuri.  
  
The sound of Yuri's evil laughter echoed down the hall.  
  
***  
  
Darkness.  
  
Not just the usual absence of light, but true darkness. A darkness of the soul, of the mind. A place where any light trying to gain ground would shrivel up and die. It was a desolate, lonely place. Everyone has a small part of it somewhere within them, and most people have discovered it at some point in their lives. Very few people want to return there.  
  
In this darkness, curled up into a metaphorical ball, lay Zen.  
  
He was in his male form here. It was, after all, his own mind. Circumstances might cause him to be female 99% of the time in the outside world, but he _was_ still a male inside. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. It was getting very difficult to believe anything he said, though.  
  
He didn't know why he lay here. His body had tried to pull him to consciousness a few times, but he resisted. He didn't want to face anyone. Ever. Ever again.  
  
So he lay here, in his bolthole, and waited. He didn't really know what he was waiting for. Perhaps for his body to finally give up, and carry him off to oblivion.  
  
He did, however, appreciate the solitude. It gave him time to think. Thoughts that kept turning in on themselves, circling like vultures. Reminding himself of every failure, every argument, every time in his life when something had gone wrong.  
  
Every death.  
  
He was somewhat unsurprised at hearing something else in his mind. He'd been expecting something like this, for someone to try and pull him out. He'd even known that if he waited long enough, it might be the two of them.  
  
"Hi, Zen."  
  
This did not prevent him from flinching when he heard Kei's voice. He did not turn, though.  
  
"So...um...nice place you've got here."  
  
No reaction.  
  
He heard a sigh, and Yuri spoke. "Zen, there's so much we have to tell you. So much we want to talk about. But we don't want to do it here. Wake up. Come back to us. Please."  
  
Zen briefly wondered how long he should wait before giving his answer. After a while, he realised that it didn't really matter, as the answer would still be the same.  
  
"No."  
  
A hand grabbed his shoulder and flipped him over. He closed his eyes. He didn't want to see them, didn't want to look in their eyes. He was terrified of what he would find there.  
  
"Why not?" Kei's voice sounded a little angry. "Are you just going to give up?"  
  
Zen sighed. This was a lot harder than he wanted it to be. He was having trouble maintaining his mood with them around, and that made them dangerous. He didn't want to be talked out of this. Didn't want to think of what would happen if he was. So he decided to try and anger them so much they would leave. Shouldn't be too difficult, they both have short fuses.  
  
"Yes. I'm just going to give up."  
  
There was a long pause.  
  
"No you're not. We won't let you. We'll just sit here and chat until you change your mind."  
  
Kei wasn't getting angry. The thought unnerved him, and he almost opened his eyes to look at her. But then, that was exactly what she wanted to happen. He turned over again, putting his back to them.  
  
That proved to be a mistake. His senses must have been dulled, because he never even heard them get near to him. Or perhaps it was the fact that they were within his mind, and none of this was real. In any case, he suddenly felt hands running all over his body, heading immediately for his weak spots.  
  
When one is being tickled, the reaction is to laugh. It is built up from birth until it becomes totally involuntary. The giggle is forced from you.  
  
Zen, however, had not honestly laughed now in over a year, and did not think he ever would again. Therefore all the tickling ended up doing was igniting his own short fuse.  
  
He uncoiled and stood, almost cracking Yuri across the jaw as he did so. Standing, he looked at them for the first time. They had changed. There was a maturity to their expression that he hadn't seen before, a sense of fulfilment. Sometime in the last year, the Angels had grown up.  
  
The same, of course, could not be said of him.  
  
"GO AWAY!" he shouted.  
  
Yuri didn't shout back. Why weren't they getting mad? "No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because we care about you, Zen. You're one of our best friends, and it tears us up to see you like this. Because a lot of it is our fault, and we want to be able to try and apologise. Because we don't want to watch you curl up inside yourself and wait to die," Kei said. She was being rather eloquent today, Zen thought.  
  
"You want me to wake up? To come with you?"  
  
"Yes." Both of them spoke at the same time.  
  
"Really?" Zen paced back and forth between the two of them. "Do you promise me that nothing like this will ever happen again?"  
  
"No," Kei said. She looked at him calmly.  
  
He felt his voice getting louder. "Do you promise that I'll never be hurt again, that if I come out everything will be all right?"  
  
"No." Yuri was equally calm.  
  
"Do you promise me -- " his voice cracked, and he swallowed before he continued, "that I won't have to watch any more of my friends die?"  
  
"No." This was from both of them, once again exactly in tune.  
  
Zen stared at them. They still weren't mad. Their eyes didn't hold anger, or pity, or anything he'd been expecting. There was sadness there, but it was an open sadness. Everything about them seemed open now.  
  
He sat back down and covered his face with his hands. "What do you promise?"  
  
They didn't answer. They didn't have to, he knew the answer. Nothing. They couldn't promise him anything, because life wasn't like that. Because life was constantly hammering at you, and you could promise happiness all you wanted, but finding it and keeping it was impossible.  
  
Yuri finally spoke. "We promise to try to make sure none of this ever happens again. To listen to you when you're hurt, and to comfort you when people die. To do this. To never let you give up."  
  
"You're asking us to make promises that are impossible to keep, Zen." Kei's voice was very quiet, as if she was saying the words to herself as much as Zen. "The world isn't predictable. You can't predict when people will die, or be hurt. You can't predict that some loony like Jimmy might not end up doing something like this again. Life is unpredictable, and that's both the best and worst thing about it."  
  
He felt a hand grab his chin, and raise it so he was looking into her eyes once more. She was crying now, tears crawling silently down her cheeks. Yuri stood right next to her, also crying.  
  
"But if you stay here, then we can make lots of promises. If you stay here, we promise that you'll never feel joy or happiness anymore. You'll never be able to laugh, or to smile. You won't be there to watch us as we go through life, making our own mistakes. You won't be there to hold us as we watch people die. And we need that, Zen. We need you, even more than you need us."  
  
Yuri sniffed. "Zen, if you stay here, you'll die."  
  
Zen turned to look at her. By now tears were coursing down his own face. "Why do you think I am here? Because I...because I want to..."  
  
He couldn't say it anymore. He'd spent so much time in here, trying to convince himself to let go, to finally give in and let himself die, but he still couldn't do it. Especially not with Kei and Yuri here. Especially not with the two people who gave him a reason to live.  
  
He broke down, sobs wracking his body. He thought he'd been crying before, but it had been nothing compared to this. Almost immediately, he felt arms wrapping around him, and heard Kei and Yuri whispering to him, trying to soothe him even as they cried.  
  
This went on for an indeterminate time. Zen completely lost track of how long they'd been hugging each other. All he knew was that he had desperately missed it, and that he wasn't ready for it to end.  
  
Eventually, however, the Angels released their hold on him, and the tears ended. When he looked up at them, they were still looking at him with those oddly mature expressions, that seemed so out-of-place on them. They spoke at the same time.  
  
"Will you wake up? Will you come with us?" They were smiling now.  
  
Zen looked around him at the darkness. He'd once promised himself he'd never go near here again, and now look at him. The blackness was absolute, tearing at his soul. He despised it.  
  
"Yes." And with that, all three of them vanished, leaving the blackness alone with itself, waiting for another chance.  
  
***  
  
Kei and Yuri opened their eyes to see Zen still lying on the bed asleep. They looked at Ishtar with concern, but she smiled.  
  
"It should be alright now. Judging from Zen's brainwave patterns, she's sleeping peacefully rather than in a coma. Whatever you two did seems to have -- "  
  
Suddenly an alarm seemed to sound throughout the building. Ishtar moved towards the door. "What is it, Persephone?"  
  
"Lazarus is back, and he's brought casualties. One critical, two minor. Maureen and Minerva are headed there already. Priority one!"  
  
Ishtar was out the door on the first word. Kei and Yuri exchanged worried glances.  
  
"Um, Persephone?" Kei wasn't used to just calling to the air when you needed the computer.  
  
"Yes, Kei?"  
  
"Cory's not hurt, is she?"  
  
"No, she isn't. She does seem to be a little shell-shocked, though."  
  
Yuri got up. "Let's go."  
  
They headed out the door, pausing to give Zen a kiss on the cheek.  
  
End of Part 3 


	4. Part 4: The Real Me

WARNING: A scene about two-thirds of the way through this part contains graphic violence and death, more so than the previous parts. Be warned, it may be considered disturbing. In addition, please note that a popular anime character is killed in that scene. I bear her no malice, I have not even seen her show. I'm just using her name.  
  
Part Four: The Real Me  
  
Organised chaos was perhaps the best way to describe what Kei and Yuri saw when they entered the landing bay. Hilda and Ishtar were shouting instructions to various people, while Zeb, Deety, and Maureen seemed to be clustered around Gay Deceiver, trying to manoeuvre a person outside the vehicle.  
  
Getting closer, the nature of the difficulty became apparent. A girl seemed to be nailed to a section of wall, impaled by various implements, and they were trying to remove her from the ship carefully with as little jostling as possible. To the Angels' amazement, she appeared to be conscious, despite her position and the presence of head and thigh wounds.  
  
Following her closely were Maureen, Lazarus, and another girl with pale skin and white-blue hair. Both she and the injured girl were 3WA agents judging from their outfits, but neither Kei or Yuri recognised either of them. In any case, the other girl was obviously in a state, hanging on to the injured girl's hand, and struggling briefly when Hilda gently pulled her away.  
  
Cory was the last out of the cab, following a quiet young man who was quickly whisked away by Lazarus. Kei and Yuri ran up to her.  
  
"Cory, are you all right? What happened?" Kei asked.  
  
"Who were they? Are they on our side, or prisoners?" Yuri added.  
  
Cory stared past the two of them for a moment, her eyes unfocused. Then she turned towards them, her face turning sombre.  
  
"I hate this. I really do."  
  
Kei and Yuri blinked. "Cory?"  
  
Cory continued, not even acknowledging them. "I'm not going to do this anymore. That's it. I've had it with going into dangerous situations and getting my ass shot off. You guys have about six or seven of 3WA's most talented agents on your side now. Let them go out and risk themselves. I'll stay here and fold a thousand cranes, or something."  
  
Kei grabbed Cory's shoulder, and noticed she was shaking slightly. "Cory, we won't ask you to do that. I promise."  
  
"Oh, SURE!" Cory's voice got louder, and her shaking became visible. "Sure, you promise that now, but as soon as you need someone who's above suspicion and can look around without running the risks of getting caught, it's always, 'Cory, would you mind?' or 'Cory, we need you' and I'll be right out there again, getting into trouble again, because despite what you guys tell me they *always* seem to catch me anyway and I'll end up finding out about crazy clones of me and women pinned to walls and more of the fucking *shit* that I never signed up for in the *first* pl... huh... pl... "  
  
Cory's monologue ended in a choked sob, and she swung her fist at Yuri, who caught it automatically.  
  
"I... "  
  
Whatever Yuri was going to say was cut off when Cory suddenly closed her eyes and fell forward, landing rather awkwardly in Kei's cleavage. The Angels looked at her, then at each other.  
  
Lazarus walked up to them, for once looking rather haggard and serious. "She's been awake now for over 24 hours, and has had some experiences that would have traumatised people without her strength of will. Give her time to sleep and get back into the right frame of mind, she'll be better."  
  
Yuri nodded. "She's not going to be going on this raid, though."  
  
"I never said she was," Lazarus said, rubbing his temples. "Bringing Cory along was perhaps not a good idea in hindsight, but I don't pretend to be perfect."  
  
A round of giggling made Lazarus turn his head, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from.  
  
"In any case," he said, glaring at the room in general, "Miss Emerson will not be asked to go anywhere near the final operation, and would probably be refused if she did ask. We need soldiers for the final battle, not spies."  
  
Kei blinked. "Cory's not a spy."  
  
Lazarus shrugged. "If we did put her into a mission like this, that's where we'd put her. She's good at getting information out of people, and can act innocent if captured."  
  
"LAZARUS!" Hilda's cry made him jump momentarily; he must have been almost as tired as Cory.  
  
"We're about to have a meeting to discuss what Cory and I discovered back at 3WA headquarters, and what to do about it. You two are welcome to participate. In fact, I think that you should. A lot of this information might explain certain... irregularities you two have already brought to our attention."  
  
Kei and Yuri looked at each other. "So that's why all those people came back with you?" Yuri said.  
  
Lazarus nodded. "The meeting is, in part, to try and find out what to do with them... and whether they can help us."  
  
"We'll take Cory to her room and then find you guys."  
  
Nodding once more, Lazarus made his way back towards Hilda, the two of them falling into a deep discussion. Occasionally they pointed at the young man who had accompanied them, who merely looked twitchy and nervous.  
  
Kei looked at Yuri and sighed, hefting Cory's unconscious frame over her shoulders. They then made their way over towards the area where Cory had been given a room.  
  
Yuri glanced at Cory. "Kei?"  
  
"Mmm?"  
  
"Should we have said something? I mean, I feel kinda bad that we got Cory into this in the first place."  
  
Kei sighed. "Yeah, we probably should have. But Lazarus was right, we aren't perfect. We let Cory go, and now have to deal with that. All we can do is be there to help her and make sure she's able to deal with whatever happened."  
  
Kei got Cory into her room and set her down on the bed. The young woman muttered slightly and shifted into a curled-up position, then smiled.  
  
Seeing this, Kei and Yuri's mood brightened a bit. They closed the door quietly, leaving Cory to her slumber.  
  
***  
  
Bast looked around the large room they'd taken him to. It seemed to be a combination conference room/conversation pit, with large sofas and armchairs scattered around. He wondered if he should sit down, but people were still arriving, so he decided to continue to stand awkwardly and wait for his fate to be decided.  
  
He wondered, for about the tenth time in the past ten minutes, if this had been such a great idea. True, staying with Jimmy had become a suicidal option, but was he really better off here? He'd been Jimmy's executive assistant for over a year, and to be honest, hadn't done much to change that state of affairs. If they liked, his captors could simply decide to throw him in a cell to rot.  
  
He sighed and rubbed his temples. Thinking like this wasn't going to get him anywhere. He had to believe he'd done the right thing, and that he was with friends now.  
  
Still, he felt like a coward. Rather than confronting Jimmy, or attempting to foil his plans, he'd run away. He could feel guilt pressing down on him, eating away at any confidence he still had. He wanted to do something about that... *needed* to do something.  
  
He looked up to see that everyone had arrived, and all of them were staring at him. He coughed.  
  
"Um... hi."  
  
The short brunette woman that had met them earlier smiled. "Hi there. Don't worry, this isn't a trial or anything. We're here because we need information. You have it. Lazarus said you were offering to help us. Is this true?"  
  
Despite the pleasant tone in her words, Bast still felt that he was dealing with a hostile audience. Looking around, he noticed the Lovely Angels in a corner, staring at him and whispering. Presumably these were the genuine article, rather than the clones that Jimmy had created later on. Zen sat next to them, so apparently the Angels had recruited a few of their friends to help. Bast noticed with some relief that Zen didn't seem to be wearing the despairing look she had been sporting for the last couple of months. Next to her... Good Lord, was that *Deirdre*? And if she was here, then where was Shasti? If anyone needed to know what he was about to tell them, she did.  
  
Bast cleared his throat and pulled himself together. He decided to look at the short woman... Hilda, he remembered... and just spill as much as he knew.  
  
"Some of this is already known to you. And some of it I'm not really supposed to know. I did a lot of research into this, especially after my suspicions of Jimmy worsened. And, I might point out, there's still a lot that I *don't* know."  
  
Lazarus spoke up. "That's fine. As much as you can."  
  
Bast sighed, and muttered to himself, "As you know, your father, the King..." Straightening up, he began. "Well, I suppose I should begin a few years ago... before Jimmy was even created..."  
  
~~~  
  
"Within a few years of its creation, the Worlds Welfare Work Association had become more successful than anyone could have imagined. That success was due in large part to the Central Computer, which moved from being an aid in briefing agents on their missions, to actually selecting the agents for the missions. By the time this whole story starts, the CC was, in effect, running 3WA.  
  
"Back in 2135, the higher-ups in the organisation, along with the Central Computer, decided to try a bold new experiment; an artificially created bioroid, designed to be the perfect 3WA agent. She would have a tetrad mind which could simulate four distinct types of personalities, in addition to her central processors. The project, as I'm sure you've guessed, was Shasti. Experiment 101-E.  
  
"Shasti's initial tests were wildly successful. She was paired with another outstanding agent, Deirdre, and everything seemed to be working out. Therefore a second bioroid was created, this one a male. He would only have two distinct personality types, as Shasti's four had proven to have a few bugs. He was codenamed Jimmy.  
  
"Unfortunately, Shasti and Deirdre's first mission was somewhat less than successful. In fact, it was pretty much a disaster. 3WA decided to cut their losses, and ordered that Jimmy be scrapped. Shasti was repaired to the best of our ability... well, actually, it was mostly thanks to Deirdre. The Ultimas continued, and eventually became our most successful team.  
  
"I'm not too sure about the next part. Maybe someone in the organisation had an ulterior motive, but I haven't been able to trace it. In any case, Jimmy wasn't abandoned. He was completed in secret, and quietly put into the organisation. Then, it would appear, almost everyone forgot about him.  
  
"Then came the LaCombe case. I presume I don't have to tell you what happened there. It ended with Shasti insane and on the run, Deirdre dead, and the Lovely Angels severely injured. Shasti continued a reign of terror that lasted four years.  
  
"Eventually, the handling of her case was given over to one of 3WA's better psychiatrists, Dr. Joseph DeFeo. He was the one who eventually succeeded in her capture, mostly because he changed the mission objectives from killing her to taking her alive. He was assisted by Jim Daltrey... the logical half of Jimmy's persona.  
  
"Here's another place where I can skip over things, as I imagine you know most of it. The Central Computer brought in Cory Emerson to assist in helping Shasti recover her senses. Unfortunately, Jimmy had ulterior motives. He killed DeFeo, and sent in a clone of Deirdre he had brainwashed to infiltrate and kill Shasti and Cory. When that failed, he mindwiped a dozen agents and sent them in to massacre everyone. This failed as well. Finally he tried to kill Shasti himself, but he was killed instead.  
  
"What happened next I'm unsure of. Perhaps we can chalk it up as a tribute to Jimmy's paranoia. In any case, Jimmy had been experimenting with cloning for a while. It wasn't perfect... as far as I can tell, the logical half of his persona was destroyed in the new clone. But apart from that, it was a success. Jimmy Daltrey lived again.  
  
"What's more, he suddenly came out from behind the sidelines and his plans got broader. He cloned the Pai... er, the Angels, as well as Miss Emerson in order to cover up his mistakes. He arranged Goulet's 'accidental' death, which left him as the next candidate for 3WA. He was very thorough, as well as quite clever. Don't make the mistake of thinking Jimmy is just a typical madman. His mind is excellent, especially when it comes to ensuring his own survival.  
  
"As for the Central Computer, who knows what it was thinking. You have to understand, 3WA had gotten used to the CC being the final word on any subject. I imagine it had its own reasons for keeping Jimmy alive.  
  
"That didn't, however, mean that the CC sat back and watched this happen. While Jimmy was doing this, the CC had its own project prepared... a third bioroid. This one, as I'm sure Lazarus has figured out, was codenamed Rei.  
  
"I don't really know much about Rei's creation... what I do know is either conjecture, or things I learned from Jimmy. Rei had only one base persona with no need for different personalities. However, it soon became apparent after she awoke that her emotional growth was severely stunted. Her reaction time and deduction skills were unparalleled, but she couldn't function as a 3WA agent without arousing suspicion.  
  
"However, a new wrinkle emerged. I had just been hired by Jimmy, and he asked me to investigate this 'anomaly', to see what was happening. At the time, I didn't really understand what I was investigating, but Jimmy did. He confronted the CC, who was forced to admit what Rei really was.  
  
"Thereafter Rei's development was handled by both Jimmy and the Central Computer. The CC was the one who came up with the idea of assigning her a partner for training. That had worked for Shasti, whatever the end results had been. However, Jimmy wanted to maintain Rei's secrecy.  
  
"So, they compromised. The CC had selected an agent, Asuka, who was technically excellent, but had an attitude that made it extremely difficult for anyone to work with her. Pairing her with Rei would introduce Rei to the extremes of emotional reactions while at the same time giving Asuka a partner who wouldn't react poorly to her.  
  
"They then took Asuka and gave her and Rei special training over the course of the next few months. Asuka's memories were wiped after each encounter, but her subconscious would remember the training. A few days ago... um, relatively speaking... Asuka was officially 'introduced' to Rei by Jimmy.  
  
"Rei... I'm not sure what to make of her. Certainly Jimmy had designs on her use. I suspect he saw her as a tool to kill Shasti and get his revenge, with Asuka not even figuring into it. He certainly had warned Rei about Asuka being a 'bad influence' on her. But Rei's behaviour, especially now, leads me to believe that she has had that emotional breakthrough that the CC originally sought.  
  
"I think Rei's automaton-like behaviour, combined with her artificial origins, led everyone to think of her as less than human. They considered Rei a tool. Certainly Jimmy saw her as less than human... just as he saw himself.  
  
"As for the Cory Emerson clone... and keep in mind very few people knew she was a clone... theirs was an odd relationship. Jimmy wasn't really a lothario... from what I saw of their relationship, the Cory clone was the aggressive one. If the thought of children had occurred to him, he'd probably do it artificially. In any case, it's never been proven... or even tested... that bioroids can procreate.  
  
"In any case, let me back up. Jimmy has always been fascinated with Shasti. Jealousy doesn't even begin to cover it. He had a total obsession with finding Shasti and destroying her life. Hence his reason for joining DeFeo in locating and bringing the rogue Shasti to justice.  
  
"When that failed... and Shasti seemed to disappear, along with the Angels and Miss Emerson, Jimmy began to broaden his search. Or rather, he had me broaden it. Jimmy spent the next few months working his way to the top of 3WA while I gathered together every piece of data I could find on Shasti, Deirdre, Kei and Yuri, and Cory Emerson.  
  
"One bit of information was the first time they met you. That was especially hard to uncover, as the CC had made a thorough attempt to hush it up. But it did provide a clue as to where you might have gone.  
  
"Naturally, Jimmy couldn't follow you there. The best that he could do was hope that you returned. And you did."  
  
~~~  
  
Bast sighed. Now he was getting to the dangerous part. "I already mentioned this next part to Lazarus and Cory, and I don't think they really believed me. Hell, I wouldn't believe it either. Jimmy called me into his office, and explained to me that he wanted me to be a spy; to infiltrate your group, pretend to get on your side, and then report back with your weaknesses.  
  
He paused, noting the silence and dubious looks he was getting.  
  
"I had pretty much the same reaction you did. See, I had been uncomfortable working with Jimmy for some time. Jimmy trusted me, and that meant I got to see more of the real him... and I didn't like what I saw. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot I could do about it. I didn't have all that much pull, and I couldn't quit, because nobody could. 3WA has, for the past month or two, not been allowing any agents to leave the organisation.  
  
"What I could do... and this was almost as dangerous... was find out how to contact you, and ask for sanctuary in return for information. I began to make plans to do this, setting up ways that I could locate you if you ever decided to return."  
  
Bast wasn't sure whether he was making his point or not. He wished that someone would react, instead of just standing there.  
  
"When... when Jimmy met with me to tell me what he wanted me to do, I almost panicked. I felt certain that he was finally going to get rid of me... had found out about my plans and was toying with me before he killed me. But he seemed to be genuine. Jimmy is an excellent actor, but after a year of being his right-hand man, I believe I can see when he's really telling the truth. He was.  
  
"Finding the clones of the Angels dead did not help, I'll admit. Whose bright idea was it to leave them just outside his door?"  
  
Perhaps he had worded that a bit strongly. In any case, he got his first real reaction, as Kei and Yuri jumped out of their seats.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"They're dead?"  
  
Bast blinked. This was unexpected. "Um... you two didn't kill them?"  
  
Hilda raised an eyebrow. "No one here did."  
  
"Now that is odd. When Jimmy and I emerged from our meeting, we found the clones of Kei and Yuri lying in front of us, their throats slit, and 'fake' carved on their foreheads. It was quite a statement. We'd assumed it was a calling card from you that meant the battle lines were being drawn."  
  
An uncomfortable silence followed, and Bast decided it would be wisest to change the subject.  
  
"In any case, I'm sure by now you're all wondering what to do with me. Certainly it'd be impossible to trust me. I'm not asking you to. I'm just letting you know what I know, and you can do with it what you like.  
  
"Jimmy is a very intelligent man, with a knack for seeing solutions where there aren't any. He's also needlessly cruel, and has a tendency to want people to suffer before he kills them. Also, of late, he has gotten increasingly paranoid. There was always this element in him, but after losing the 'Jim' half of his persona, it's gotten very bad. I would say that the clone of Cory Emerson and myself are the only people he trusts these days. Ironic, considering I'm selling him out." Bast twitched a bit when he said that, but soldiered on.  
  
"After finding out as much information as I could, I was to meet him at his new base of operations, where I'd brief him."  
  
"And that base is?" Lazarus asked.  
  
Bast didn't flinch this time. "It's a planet called Gauda Prime, which Jimmy seemed insistent on choosing for some reason..."  
  
Zen threw her head back in what appeared to be great pain. "Arrggh... great, he's not only a psycho paranoid sadist, but he has an AWFUL sense of humour."  
  
Everyone seemed to find this odd, so Bast didn't feel left out. After a few moments, Zen looked up and said, "Sorry. Do go on. If you want my opinion, though, Zen suspects Mr. Daltrey is choosing Gauda Prime solely for reasons of personal amusement."  
  
Bast wanted to wrap this up. He was getting tired, and wanted nothing more than to go to the cell they would assign him and sleep until this was all over.  
  
Unfortunately, Lazarus and Hilda appeared to be pointing at him and whispering a lot. Then they waved over a third person, a short brunette who'd assisted in getting Asuka out when they arrived.  
  
All three then got to their feet and stared at Bast, who began to sweat.  
  
"Um..."  
  
Hilda spoke up. "Mr. Weinberg, we're not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do..."  
  
"But we believe that you are telling the truth, at least as you see it to be."  
  
Lazarus walked over to Bast. "And since you said that the only two people Jimmy trusts are the Cory-clone and yourself, and Miss Emerson will not be participating in this mission..."  
  
Bast began to feel a little faint. "You want me to go to Gauda Prime, pretend to be reporting in, feed Jimmy false information, and then you'll pull me out before the chaos begins?"  
  
Seeing Lazarus and Hilda pull faces at each other, Bast smiled for the first time since his arrival. "I might not sound like it, but I am fairly quick. Why do you think Jimmy hired me?"  
  
"Can you do it?"  
  
Bast shrugged. "I could. Just because I've been in administration my whole career doesn't make me less qualified as a 3WA agent. I'll admit I'm nowhere near as good as the others in this room... by the way, how many people *did* you end up stealing from under our noses?"  
  
Lazarus ignored him. "Will you help us? We can't guarantee you won't be caught... but on the other hand, if you do succeed, we'll have a much better chance of ensuring Jimmy's downfall."  
  
Bast opened his mouth to respond, and realised he didn't know what to say. They were playing on his guilt, he knew... but that didn't mean it wasn't working. He did feel guilty. Asuka's body, pinned to the wall like a butterfly, floated in front of his face. Rei, accusing him of allowing it to happen. In a sense, he had. He was too cowardly to stop Jimmy, and so Jimmy had run amuck. If he returned, even if it led to being caught, he'd have done something.  
  
"...all right. I'll do it."  
  
Lazarus smiled, and patted him on the back. "Thank you."  
  
Bast smiled wanly. "I don't suppose I have time for a quick nap?"  
  
***  
  
Cory sat back and frowned. Most of the preparations were done, the 3WA agents were starting to arrive and be debriefed, and the base was fully equipped. Now all she had left to do was sit back and watch Jimmy.  
  
Jimmy was worrying her more and more. He'd always been fairly flighty, switching from one topic to another with blinding speed. But he'd always done so with an eye on the big picture. Each tangent he introduced turned out to be something they'd missed, or hadn't thought of.  
  
But lately he'd been missing things, something totally unlike him. Cory had had to get an assistant to run the briefing after Jimmy had suffered a panic attack a few minutes before. Last night she'd discovered him in the bathroom. He'd broken the mirror and was attempting to slash his throat with the pieces. She'd grabbed him and talked him down, and then a few minutes later he pulled her into the shower and fucked her senseless. He seemed totally focused on her, and she'd been left exhausted afterwards.  
  
Something was going to have to be done about this soon. Jimmy needed to be focused on getting their revenge, or else Shasti and the others would walk all over him.  
  
It wasn't much better when he was lucid. His plan of attack was far too passive for her liking. He was relying on Shasti and her friends to make the first attack, and he would lure them into exposing themselves so that he could deal with them. She'd tried to point out that this gave Shasti's group a number of advantages, including that of surprise, but Jimmy had brought up her own failures, caused by aggressiveness, and she'd been forced to concede his point.  
  
So she sat here, watching Jimmy play with a pencil, and waited for the first of the many random elements of Jimmy's plan to come into play.  
  
"Sir? I'm, um, I'm back."  
  
Looking up, Cory growled. Weinberg, the first and most random of those elements. For some reason, Jimmy had total faith that Bast would be able to get all sorts of inside information of their enemies, and then report back to him. Cory was a little more realistic. Either they'd discover what Bast was trying to do, in which case he wouldn't be coming back at all, or else they'd convert him, and he'd come back to betray them.  
  
Cory privately suspected that Bast wouldn't need much converting. From what she'd seen, he was a spineless little twit with a conscience problem. His presence meant that she'd need to take a few more steps to ensure that this battle *did* go their way.  
  
Jimmy was delighted to see Bast. He seemed to have returned to his normal behaviour, with all traces of the madness that was plaguing him gone. Cory wondered if Bast had this effect on him.  
  
If Bast *had* turned traitor, she was going to need some evidence. She didn't want to have Jimmy questioning *her* loyalties, not after everything she'd done to get where she was. If she placed irrefutable proof before him, though...that would strengthen their bonds even tighter. He'd need her more than ever. There was also a danger it might exacerbate his madness, but Cory let that slide. If that happened, she'd be there for him.  
  
She stood up, decisively. "Jimmy, if you don't need me while Mr. Weinberg is debriefing you, I'm going to look in on some details that need attention."  
  
Jimmy barely nodded. Bast, on the other hand, twitched and glanced over at her. He covered it up fairly quickly, but it was enough for her. The man was guilty, and she'd make sure Jimmy knew it.  
  
She walked out of the office quickly. She was already planning ways that she could get Bast to trip himself up. It had occured to her that if Bast had been with Shasti and Deirdre, he had probably met with the original Cory Emerson as well. And knowing her template as well as she did, that Cory was probably into this little war up to her neck.  
  
With that in mind, Cory stepped into a nearby restroom, getting out a penknife. *Need to make myself look the part, after all...* she mused.  
  
***  
  
Bast left Jimmy's office with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the meeting itself had gone splendidly. Jimmy welcomed him with open arms, putting to rest Bast's secret fears that the whole mission was an elaborate set-up to get rid of him. In fact, Jimmy was almost embarrassingly ebullient, hanging on every drop of the false information Bast was feeding him.  
  
That was also the other problem. Bast had avoided looking at Jimmy during the meeting, because when he did he saw the madness that had finally escaped Jimmy's eyes. Jimmy had always been cruel and sadistic, but he was in control of himself, even as Jimmy. It was a loose, easygoing kind of calm that Bast could rely on.  
  
Now all of Jimmy's true emotions were plain to see on his face. The rage, the manic euphoria, the sadness and desperation. When Bast had described Jimmy to Lazarus and the others, he'd said he was insane. But that was due to a year of really getting to know Jimmy. Outsiders, people who didn't know him well, just saw the dynamic leader of 3WA. Now, however...  
  
Bast wondered why he was so bothered by this. After all, he had already thrown in his lot with the others. Jimmy was not only a madman, but a sadist who had killed over and over again to achieve his aims. And yet...looking into his eyes, Bast felt pity for him. Shasti and Rei had achieved something that Jimmy hadn't been able to, and the man just wasn't able to cope with that.  
  
Now, however, was not the time for such thoughts. He looked around to make sure that no one else in the corridor was around, and then slipped into a side corridor. The drop point had been arranged with little room for error, and he had to make sure he was there for pickup.  
  
Rounding the corner, however, he came upon something that surprised him. It was Cory Emerson, lying on the floor. Moving as close to her as he dared, he noted that she was bleeding from a cut to the side of the head, fairly deep looking. For a moment he wrestled with himself as to what to do. This was the clone of Cory, after all. She was just as sadistic and nasty as Jimmy was, in her own way. Still, when all was said and done, Bast was not about to leave someone lying wounded in the middle of the floor.  
  
He kneeled down by her, wondering why she'd changed her clothes recently. Closer, he could see that the cut wasn't as bad as he'd thought, and that she wasn't totally unconscious. She seemed to be murmuring something under her breath.  
  
"Don't worry, Miss Emerson, I'll get you to somewhere safe." *And close,* he added to himself, knowing he didn't have much time.  
  
Her eyes flickered open. "...Bast?"  
  
"Yeah, I know, but no matter what I may think of you I'm not going to let you sit in the hall bleeding."  
  
She tried to sit up, but didn't get very far. "Mr. Weinberg! Something went wrong! You have to tell the others!"  
  
Bast paused, momentarily confused. "Huh?"  
  
"I was sent to tell you, but I ran into that other me. You have to find Kei and Yuri. They'll know what to do."  
  
It finally dawned on Bast that this wasn't the clone. This was the original Cory, sent back here. And she'd apparently run into her double, which meant that his cover was now very, very blown.  
  
*Shit. What now?* he thought. If they'd dropped Cory off, it probably meant that the drop *wasn't* going to happen. That meant he had to grab Cory, find a place for them to temporarily hide out, and then try and find some way of contacting the Angels. If Cory had mentioned them, it seemed a reasonable assumption that they were here.  
  
Cory seemed to be recovering from the blow to her head, and was now leaning up against the wall. He bit his finger, then decided. "Can you move?"  
  
She steadied herself and then staggered to her feet. "I think so."  
  
Bast nodded. "Good. We need to get out of the open. I'm gathering that the drop point isn't going to happen?"  
  
An odd look passed over her face just then. "No, you could say that," she replied.  
  
Bast sighed. "I wish Hilda had let me bring some kind of communicator. They wouldn't even let me take a watch."  
  
He turned to look down the side corridor, checking to see if any guards were around. Suddenly a beam tore through his bicep, neatly severing his left arm. For a moment he just stared at the arm, now lying on the floor, and then the pain hit and he dropped to his knees screaming.  
  
He looked up, to find Cory standing over him. She was holding a gun in one hand, and seemed to have a small device in the other.  
  
"Thank you, Bast. I was wondering whether you'd ever say anything useful for the recorder."  
  
Then she swam out of focus, and everything went dark...  
  
***  
  
The first thing Bast noticed as he returned to consciousness was a disconnected feeling in his left shoulder. There was something odd about it, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.  
  
The second thing he noticed was that he seemed to be naked. As Bast always slept in a T-shirt and briefs, this was decidedly wrong.  
  
Bast decided to make a vague 'I'm waking up now' grunt, to warn anyone in the immediate vicinity before he opened his eyes. This worked up to a point, as he was suddenly hit viciously across the face. He bit his tongue, and tasted blood. With it came memories of the past few hours.  
  
*Oh no...*  
  
"Jimmy, wait. I know what you're feeling, but if you break his jaw he'll be unable to tell us anything. We need information."  
  
*Oh God, no...*  
  
Bast opened his eyes. He appeared to be in the middle of a medical area, strapped down to a gurney. A quick glance to the side told him what he already knew: his arm was gone, burnt off at the shoulder. There appeared to be a pain blocker on it, however. Presumably they wanted him coherent enough to crack.  
  
Looking further down, he noted that he was indeed naked, and furthermore he was unable to feel anything below his waist. For a moment he thought he was paralysed, then reasoned that they'd probably given him something. The reasons why they would do this made him shudder.  
  
He tried to remember what 3WA had told him about not cracking under torture. They never seemed to mention you might be naked. They certainly didn't talk about missing limbs. The only thing he could remember was someone saying to divide the pain into brief but manageable segments, so that it was just another hump to be over, rather than an eternity of agony.  
  
Then Jimmy walked into his line of sight, and all other thoughts went out the window.  
  
Bast assumed he had seen Jimmy at his angriest. He had seen Jimmy rant about the unfairness of existence, the petty and closed minds of bureaucrats, and had even seen him throw a reporter through a wall. But this was not that Jimmy. This Jimmy stared at Bast with a furious look of betrayal in his eyes. His hands clenched spasmodically, and his mouth was twitching.  
  
This was the Jimmy Daltrey who had nailed Asuka to a wall.  
  
Standing some ways away was the Cory Emerson clone, who was almost the polar opposite of Jimmy. Instead of rage, her eyes showed amusement. She was delighted to see him in this position. Bast wasn't sure which of them he feared more at the moment. He cursed himself for a fool for falling for her trick.  
  
Cory walked up to Jimmy and rested a hand on his shoulder. "I promise that after I get what we need out of him, you can do whatever you want."  
  
Jimmy snarled, his attention still locked on Bast. At that moment, Bast would give anything to hear Jimmy made a cruel wisecrack, or have a sadistic glint come into his eyes. This...animal hatred was almost more than he could bear.  
  
The sadistic glint, unfortunately, was in Cory's eyes. "Mr. Weinberg, I see you're awake. Good. We need information."  
  
*Reduce the pain to manageable segments,* he thought once again. "Good luck. I'm not going to tell you anything."  
  
Cory smiled. "Good, I was hoping you'd say that. Let me tell you exactly what we're going to do. I've given you a spinal block, so that you won't be able to feel anything in your lower body. So don't ever let it be said that I wasn't merciful." She smiled at him, a cold, hard smile, and moved towards a counter.  
  
"Now, normally we wouldn't have to resort to physical torture. 3WA is a kind and generous organisation above that sort of thing. Unfortunately, we don't have the time for nicer methods. We have to find out where your people will be picking you up and when, and we have to find out now. It's your own fault, really. All of this could have been avoided if only you'd stayed loyal to us."  
  
The clinical, matter-of-fact tone of voice she used made Bast want to scream.  
  
"So we have to resort to physical torture. That's a lot more dangerous, of course. I'm not really trained in all the aspects, and have to be very careful to avoid killing you. Do you see this?" She held up a couple of wires. "Electrocution is very effective and rather painful. But I have to be very careful not to cross the paths near your heart, or you'll die. I can also only use a little bit of electricity, or you'll die. Very tricky...maybe I'll save it for later."  
  
She moved to the other side of the room. "There are, of course, far simpler means of torture. Heat, for example. Humans have an instinctual fear of fire. So I imagine that if I held this flame," here she picked up a mini-blowtorch, "and burned some of the skin off of you it would have far more effect that just a simple beating. Fear of the elements is always more powerful than fear of your fellow man."  
  
Cory put down the torch and sighed dramatically. "Decisions, decisions...there are just too many things to do to you! I could give you drugs to make your skin sweat blood. There's lots of fun to be had with razors. And let's not forget you're naked. A particularly vulnerable area, don't you think?"  
  
Bast was desperately trying to remember the rules for surviving torture they had taught him. He knew this was only a psychological stunt meant to freak him out, but knowing that didn't prevent it from working. He was scared out of his mind. He knew it, and Cory definitely knew it.  
  
Cory smiled, and moved back to the small torch. "Let's get started. After all, I did say we were on a schedule." And with that, she snapped the torch on and moved towards him.  
  
He lasted five more minutes before he cracked. It wasn't so much the pain, there wasn't much. It was watching what Cory was doing to him and not being able to feel it or do anything about it. He wasn't a field agent, he wasn't supposed to deal with this. So he started talking. Telling them as much as he knew, which admittedly wasn't a whole lot. Telling them the time he'd arranged to be picked up and the place. Confirming the agents who had defected to the other side.  
  
When it was over he felt as though he'd been flayed alive. Not physically, but mentally. He lay limply on the gurney, feeling loathing washing over him. Now in addition to his missing arm and the fear of being tortured, he had to deal with the fact that he'd just sold everyone out.  
  
Cory was whispering to Jimmy at the side of the room. He nodded occasionally. His eyes were where they'd been for the past half-hour, fixed on Bast's face.  
  
Finally she turned and headed out of the room, presumably to co-ordinate with the other agents. Jimmy walked slowly over to Bast. He no longer had the mindless expression of hatred he'd possessed earlier. This was the old Jimmy, the crafty Jimmy. The Jimmy Bast was most familiar with. He smiled. It was a hideous, mirthless smile, and the look of it made Bast want to throw up.  
  
"Cory tells me that we're using you as bait to kill Shasti and Rei. I thoroughly approve of that, so I won't be killing you now. But she did say we'd gotten enough information out of you now. So I'm free to tell you exactly how I felt about your betrayal of me."  
  
Bast didn't say anything, he just closed his eyes. So he didn't see the blow that broke his jaw.  
  
***  
  
Laz and Lor were beginning to worry. Bast still hadn't left a note in the prearranged pickup place, and it was getting close to the deadline for retrieving him. They were beginning to fear the worst, but continued to check regularly to see if there was anything different.  
  
This time there was. Leaning against the wall, with a bright yellow ribbon tied around it, was a human arm. Laz and Lor knew even before looking at it that it would be Bast's. Shivering, they walked over to it, keeping an eye out for ambushes.  
  
There was a note next to it. It read:  
  
Go back and tell your people that we're through waiting.  
In three days we will begin our attack, and if you're not  
here to fight it I'll just have to leave you another  
message, this time attached to Mr. Weinberg's heart.   
Three days, at 12:00 noon, no later.  
  
Have a nice day.  
  
Jimmy Daltrey  
  
***  
  
Asuka lay in bed, trying not to think about what had happened to her. According to Ishtar, she'd been very lucky. The wounds in her hands and feet were fairly minor, and her side would heal fairly quickly. The only major problem was her shoulder, and the doctor had seemed fairly confident that with therapy, she should regain full use of it.  
  
To Asuka, however, that was not the issue. The issue was that she had let this happen. She had let her rage gain control of her, and the result was Jimmy pinning her to the wall like a trophy. She had trained more than any other 3WA trainee, and now she knew why. They couldn't give her an assignment because she wasn't good enough. She'd proved that. Flown off the handle, abandoned her partner, attacked wildly and without thought, and now she lay here.  
  
In her mind she could hear her mother, screaming at her, saying how she was a disgrace to her family. Those screams were getting louder and louder in her mind.  
  
Fortunately for her peace of mind, she was distracted by the door slowly opening. Then she saw who was behind it.  
  
The last time she'd seen Rei, it had been through a haze of pain. She wasn't even sure if what she remembered was real. She remembered Rei staring at her in horror, and then breaking down in tears. She remembered Rei attacking Mr. Weinberg, her face twisted in a rage that seemed all too familiar to Asuka. She remembered Rei's worried face, looking down at her as they loaded her onto the ship for transport to this hospital.  
  
She wondered now if it had all been some sort of fever dream. Rei stood there, as placid as ever. Her pale face betrayed nothing. She might as well have been a doll or robot. *Just like when I first met her,* Asuka thought.  
  
Asuka stared at her, determined for once not to be the first to speak. Perhaps if she lay there and looked pathetic enough, she could shame Rei into speaking.  
  
It seemed to work, as Rei coughed and started to talk.  
  
"The doctor says that my emotions have swung back in the other direction now. Apparently I'll continue to move between emotional extremes until I've stabilised."  
  
Rei paused. Asuka began to realise that some sort of response was required of her.  
  
"Is it permissible, perhaps, to tell me why all this happened?" She hadn't meant her tone to be as nasty as it sounded, but she couldn't help it. She still felt betrayed.  
  
Rei must have caught the tone as well. Even though she was back in her robot girl phase, her cheeks still managed to colour.  
  
"When I first awoke, they discovered that my emotions were severely stunted. There were various arguments about what to do about it, but in the end it was agreed that interaction with others would be the safest way to have my emotions brought forth without any unforeseen consequences. Unfortunately, my existence was not well-known, nor did they want it to be."  
  
Asuka felt the need to interrupt. "They? Who are we talking about here?"  
  
Rei sat down on the edge of the bed. "The Central Computer. And Jimmy Daltrey."  
  
Asuka felt herself get dizzy for a few seconds. "TOGETHER?!"  
  
To her startlement, Rei made a sound which could be considered a laugh, were it not Rei making it. "Not really. To Jimmy, I was an instrument of revenge, a way to accomplish what he himself was unable to. To the Central Computer, I was an experiment, a third attempt to prove to itself that it could create life. They had totally different agendas. I was...confused as to what I should be doing or feeling."  
  
Asuka didn't know how to take this. She was beginning to lose her anger. She decided to move the conversation back to safer ground in order to get it back. "Where did I come in?"  
  
Rei continued to speak in her usual monotone, though her face was showing signs of life. "Jimmy and the Central Computer both decided to use you as an emotional template I could study. Jimmy, of course, wasn't all that interested in you. He told me to study your rage and anger, and put those emotions to good use when the time came.  
  
"The Central Computer told me that anger and revenge was not my goal. It asked me to study your enthusiasm and optimism, the energy and cheerfulness you brought to all your tasks."  
  
Asuka blinked. "What did you think?"  
  
Rei shrugged. "I tried to do both, and studied every move you made. I didn't know any better. It never occurred to me to wonder what you thought of me, or of the situation you were in. After all, you had your memories altered after every session. Every time I met you, it was for the first time."  
  
*This isn't working. I'm not getting mad, I'm getting depressed,* Asuka thought.  
  
For a few minutes neither of them spoke. When Rei next opened her mouth, the words came out haltingly.  
  
"I think I'm swinging back in the other direction now. I'd better go. But I...I need to ask you something."  
  
Asuka's heart sank. She had a feeling she knew what the question would be. "Go ahead."  
  
Rei turned, and there were tears coming down her cheeks. "Can we still be partners? Please, I...I want to be your partner. Your friend. I've never had a friend, never been able to give friendship back. It comes so easily to you, and I want to know how that feels. I want to spend time with you. I want to work as a team with you, I want to -- "  
  
"STOP!" Asuka tried to spin around and face away from Rei, but she merely succeeded in sending a shock of pain through her shoulder blade. "Why are you asking me this now? Can't you see that it's too soon? How am I supposed to respond? Sure, let's forget about it and let bygones be bygones? I was a lab rat for your experiment!"  
  
She was crying as well by now. "How can I be sure that all they did was erase my memories? The Central Computer said we were the perfect team. So did Jimmy. What if they arranged that? How do I know if I ever work with you again that it was my choice or the conditioning?"  
  
Rei had gotten up. She was no longer making any effort to stop crying. "I'm sorry. I'll go now."  
  
Despite the emotions storming inside her, Asuka raised an arm to stop her. "Wait!"  
  
Rei turned, a desperate look on her face.  
  
"I meant what I said. It's too soon to be asking me this. Just...come back later and we'll see what can be done, OK? I don't think either of us is in the right frame of mind to make decisions now."  
  
Rei shuddered for a moment. Asuka thought she saw a grin break across her face, but then Rei had turned away again.  
  
"I'd better go see the doctor," Rei said. "I think I'm definitely shifting back."  
  
Nodding, Asuka shifted on her bed, returning to a more comfortable position. "I'm sorry to hear you're going through this."  
  
Rei giggled, then stopped. "I'm not. This is what I've been trying to do ever since I first woke up. I savour every emotion, even the painful ones. It means I'm alive. I...I need to be alive, Asuka. I need to be real."  
  
Then she was gone, and Asuka was left with her thoughts once again.  
  
*Failure,* shouted her mother.  
  
But now there was another voice as well.  
  
*I want to be your partner...your friend.*  
  
***  
  
Shasti flopped down on to the grass with a happy sigh.  
  
The last three days had been some of the happiest in her life. She could relax around the people and animals and...things here with no fear of losing her mind and going berserk. She could have fun. She'd gone on a picnic with Tik-Tok, sailed down a river with a girl named Dorothy and a cat named Eureka, and gotten to beat up Professor Wogglebug a few times (he didn't really seem to mind, oddly enough).  
  
Still, she was starting to feel restless. Oz was a wonderful place, but...much as she liked it, she didn't want to stay here permanently. Her friends were back in her own universe, and she wanted to get back and help them.  
  
She felt guilty as well. Jimmy was still alive, and making her friends' lives miserable. He was her fault as well, in a way. It was because of her 'success' that he had been created in the first place. And his insanity was all too familiar to her. LaCombe or no, she'd been just as psychopathic for five years of her life. It was something she'd have to carry with her the rest of her life. She wasn't going to let Jimmy get away with what she had.  
  
No, she'd made up her mind: it was time to go back. She was just laying here, trying to soak up one last chance for relaxation before going out into the real world.  
  
"Shasti?"  
  
It was faint, but she'd recognise that voice anywhere. "Deirdre! Over here!" she waved.  
  
Her friend brightened and jogged up the hill towards Shasti. She was relieved to see that Deirdre had also recovered from the horrors that she'd been through. She had resolved to herself that getting Deirdre back after she had killed her, even if it was a clone, was the greatest gift she would ever receive. She wasn't about to be ungrateful.  
  
Deirdre lay next to Shasti, looking up at the sky. "God, have you, like, ever seen a sky that blue?"  
  
Shasti smiled. "Nope. It's almost like a storybook here...the sky, the clouds...it hasn't rained all the time I've been here, but everything seems healthy. It's wonderful."  
  
Deirdre's forehead creased a bit. "Shasti...are you gonna stay here?"  
  
Shasti saw the look on Deirdre's face and felt unsure of herself. She'd always been able to hold on to the fact that she and Deirdre were perfect partners. They knew exactly what the other would do, and could almost read the others thoughts. But that was five years ago. Now they were both different people, in a sense. Deirdre was dealing with the fact that she was a clone, however perfect that clone was. In addition, she had the guilt of allowing Jimmy to manipulate her. Shasti had barely gotten rid of the rogue personality in her mind and started to deal with her own guilt when she'd been given a new body, entirely human, and had to learn how to control it.  
  
No, she could no longer say with certainty that she knew what Deirdre thought. And that scared her.  
  
She looked at Deirdre, who looked rather tense herself. "Do you want me to stay here, Deirdre?"  
  
Deirdre sat up and looked the other way. "This isn't about what I think, Shasti! I mean, you're finally getting a chance to decide things for yourself, y'know! You're finally getting to really have a will of your own! I don't want to get in your way just because I don't want to get hurt!"  
  
Shasti felt herself getting annoyed. She grabbed Deirdre's arm, turning her around. "And since when does having free will mean I have to only think of myself? Why can't I think about what my friends want! I want to see you happy, Deirdre! And if that means that you want me to stay here so you can go on with your life, then...then I'll accept that."  
  
She saw the stunned look on Deirdre's face, and it was too much for her to take. She ran down the hill, trying not to collapse right there.  
  
Halfway down, she felt someone tackle her from behind. Her Trouble Consultant instincts kicked in and she manoeuvred her fall to the side, coming up and lashing out with a kick. She knew it was Deirdre who'd tackled her, but her emotions were colouring her thoughts at the moment and she needed to lash out.  
  
Much to her surprise, Deirdre grabbed Shasti's foot before it could connect and spun her back towards the tree. Shasti did a midair somersault and landed lightly on her feet, then did a forward roll and tried to trip Deirdre up. She was only partially successful, as Deirdre fell but was able to get back up again. Shasti hit the bottom of the hill and turned, just in time to catch the fist headed for her.  
  
For a moment, the two of them stood like that, trying to catch their breath. Then, to Shasti's surprise, Deirdre smiled.  
  
"Not bad, partner. Guess we aren't as rusty as we thought."  
  
Shasti's eyes lit up. "Partner? You mean..."  
  
"Shasti," Deirdre said, "the whole reason I came here in the first place was to come and get you. Why in God's name do you think I'd abandon you here. We're partners, forever. You're my best friend. I can't imagine a life without you in it."  
  
Shasti took a breath to say something, but no words were adequate enough to express the joy she felt. She grabbed Deirdre and hugged her tight, inadvertently sending them both to the ground.  
  
For a few minutes, they were content merely to lie there and hold each other, relieved that the bond between them had not been shattered. After a while, Shasti heard Deirdre chuckle.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"We'd better be careful who sees us like this, or else, like, even more rumours will fly."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Kei and Yuri have recovered, and now they seem to have some empathic bond between them. They're always together, and really close, and...well, Tertius is already a pretty sexually free place, so everyone is assuming they're..."  
  
Shasti nodded slowly. "Makes no difference to me. When I was...on the run, I slept with men and women."  
  
Deirdre's eyes bulged, and Shasti giggled. "Speaking of Kei and Yuri, how are things going out there?"  
  
The change of subject worked, and Deirdre relaxed again. "Not so hot, frankly. We sent in an inside man to feed Jimmy some false information, but it looks like he was captured. We can't wait any longer, Shasti. We're going to try and add a plan to rescue him, and then we're going to attack. Jimmy's going down."  
  
Shasti's face darkened. "Good. I'm there."  
  
Deirdre got up, helping Shasti to her feet. "Um...Shasti, I dunno whether their plans included you. I mean, three days ago you were a basket case."  
  
Shasti started down the hill. "I'm better now. And they'll have to hog-tie me to get me to stay behind. Jimmy is mine."  
  
Deirdre gave Shasti an odd look, but said nothing.  
  
"Come on, "Shasti said, not noticing Deirdre's expression, "Let's go say goodbye to Glinda and the others. We'd better head back before it hits the fan."  
  
She started off when Deirdre grabbed her arm. "Shasti?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"We're gonna have plenty of excitement soon. I wanna rest here for just a little bit more. We can go back in an hour or so, Tertius is on a different timeline."  
  
Shasti looked at Deirdre, and noticed for the first time how tired she looked. She wondered how long Deirdre had been awake before coming here.  
  
"All right. For now, we can relax."  
  
The two of them walked back up the hill, and lay down by the tree. However, staring at the azure blue sky. Neither of them were really thinking of the beauty of it anymore, however.  
  
***  
  
The relaxation turned out to be a good idea. When Shasti and Deirdre returned to Boondock, they were met with a carefully controlled chaos that was close to being a full-blown panic. Nobody was yelling and screaming, but the two TCs still felt as if things were very touchy.  
  
"Um...hi, everyone, I'm back!"  
  
Everything momentarily stopped as the group turned to look at Shasti. She smiled and gave a small wave, suddenly a bit self- conscious.  
  
Lazarus looked at her closely. "Shasti, how do you feel? Be honest."  
  
She and Deirdre walked over to sit down at the other end of the table, facing Lazarus. "I feel fine. None of the problems I was experiencing before my...sabbatical are happening now. I can control my various impulses, and more importantly, I feel like one person. I'm ready to do whatever you need me to." *And if you tell me to stay here, I'll follow you anyway. Jimmy is mine,* is what she didn't add.  
  
Lazarus cocked his head slightly, and then nodded. Hilda noticed this and jabbed him in the gut.  
  
"Lazarus, what have we learned about using unfamiliar people in dangerous situations?"  
  
He leaned back. "Hilda, we don't have much of a choice. Bast was going to be our trump card, because he knew so much about Mr. Daltrey's mindset. Now he's been captured, and we have to factor in a rescue on top of that. We need experience, and we don't have much. We can't use time travel, as that would draw attention from other enemies such as the Sceen Changers. Miss Emerson is not involved in this mission. That leaves the Angels, and Shasti and Deirdre. They've fought Jimmy before, and won. Deirdre is familiar with Jimmy's mindset to a certain point, and she works better with Shasti. We're running out of options."  
  
Hilda glared at him for a while, then she put her head in her hands. "I hate working like this. Nothing's gone right on this entire project."  
  
Lazarus made the mistake of glancing briefly at Kei and Yuri, who were catching up with Laz and Lor in the corner.  
  
"IT'S NOT OUR FAULT!" all four responded in perfect unison.  
  
Lazarus pretended to look wounded. "Now when did I ever imply - erk!"  
  
Shasti glanced down, but couldn't see Hilda's heel grinding down onto his toe. She knew it must be there, though.   
  
"Let's move on. Shasti, you're provisionally pencilled into the operation, but I hope you understand that we're going to be careful."  
  
Shasti nodded. "Wouldn't expect anything else."  
  
Having settled that, Hilda turned to Deirdre, who had remained silent to this point. "Deirdre, I realise this might be painful for you, but is there anything you can remember about Jimmy training you that could improve our odds?"  
  
Deirdre winced slightly. "That's just it, I wasn't trained by Jimmy. You have to remember, Jimmy, until last year by his timeline, was a split personality, just like Shasti. He had a logical and emotional split, supposedly controlled by a central mind. These two halves had very different views. I was Jim's project - the logical part of his mind. Simple and quick. Train me to hate Shasti, send me to kill her. But I rarely dealt with Jimmy. My mindset was...fragile enough without exposing me to his outbursts. And from what we know, Jim was destroyed when Jimmy moved into his clone body."  
  
She shrugged. "I'll tell you what I know, but I don't know how helpful it would be."  
  
Lazarus looked up at the ceiling. "So, to sum up. We're going into an unfamiliar situation. We know there will be heavy opposition, but we can't be sure if they will be mindwiped zombies or just normal agents who've been fed misinformation. In addition, the enemy is led by a completely unpredictable madman. And we just sent our one asset into the enemy camp, where he was captured and maimed. We didn't tell him much, but even so, we have to assume he told them everything he knows about us." He sighed. "We're really batting a thousand here."  
  
"I can help."  
  
The entire room turned to see Rei standing in the doorway. She was leaning against it, her face pressed into the side. Her arm was crossed around her chest, as if trying to restrain herself. She straightened up, and stumbled into the room, collapsing into a seat near the middle of the table.  
  
After a pause, she spoke again. "I knew Jimmy. Very well. I can help." There was another pause, and her voice could barely be heard. "Please let me help."  
  
Shasti could gauge the mood of the room, and knew what was going to happen. She couldn't let it happen. She knew what Rei must be going through right now - it was the same thing she had gone through. Deirdre had told her about the agent's origins. They were sisters, of a sort. And Jimmy was their brother. Rei needed to go on this mission. It was family business.  
  
She stood up and moved over to Rei. "She's right. Even if she's not up to fighting, she can still tell us more about Jimmy. She worked with him closely right up till a few days ago."  
  
Hilda shook her head. "It's pushing it to have you on this mission, Shasti. Rei coming along is totally unacceptable. We've only known her for a couple of days, we have no idea how loyal she is to 3WA or Jimmy, and she's undergoing severe emotional trauma."  
  
Shasti wasn't giving in, though. "Look at it this way: you are at the point now where any advantage, no matter how small, will help you. Rei is an advantage. She's not ideal or perfect, but she can help. Leaving her behind would, at this point, be a mistake. If you had more time, fine. But you don't. I can tell you don't because you're letting me go so easily, which tells me how desperate you are. Deirdre and Rei are the ones who can best tell you about Jimmy's thought processes, and Rei and I are the ones who can give you insight into his physiology. Hell, right now Rei is a bigger advantage than myself *or* Deirdre. She needs to come."  
  
Shasti paused for breath. Then she stopped, realising that she'd said what she wanted. She put a hand on Rei's shoulder. The young woman tensed for a moment, then relaxed and moved her hand to grasp Shasti's.  
  
Hilda and Lazarus appeared to consider Shasti's words for some time. Lazarus was the one who finally spoke. "What would you suggest the three of you do?"  
  
Suddenly Shasti realised she had no idea. *Think fast, girl,* she said to herself. But before she could reply, Deirdre walked up towards them and grasped Rei's other shoulder.  
  
"Divide the force into one main team and two smaller recon units. The main one will be led by Jubal, with Kei, Yuri and Zen as liaisons. Their job will be to battle the 3WA agents, find out what their mental condition is, and take care of them - be that through talking, capture, or killing as a last resort. The second team will be composed of Lazarus, Hilda and the twins. They'll go and find Bast and get him back here for Ishtar to look at. The third team of Shasti, Rei, Minerva, and myself will be responsible for finding and killing Jimmy Daltrey."  
  
Shasti blinked. Apparently Deirdre had shifted into her 'computer personality'.  
  
Then Deirdre grinned. "Then, like, Lazarus calls for pizza, and we all meet up back here." The twins laughed and the serious mood was broken. Even Lazarus was hiding a smile.  
  
"Why did you have Lazarus and me on the second team? It would make more sense tactically to have us running things here."  
  
Deirdre smiled again. "True. But I took into account the fact that the two of you feel responsible for Bast's capture and would want to rescue him personally."  
  
Lazarus leaned back and groaned. "Sometimes I feel I should give all of this up and -- "  
  
The rest of the sentence was filled in by Hilda, Minerva, the twins, and Jubal. " -- go back to Missouri and spend the rest of my years fishing in the creek." Shasti giggled.  
  
Jubal was still concentrating on Rei. "Rei, answer honestly. Can you help us? Do you want to? And what are your feelings about Jimmy?"  
  
Rei looked up at Shasti for a moment, her eyes seemingly vacant. Then she turned back to Jubal. "I will help you. Jimmy killed my father. I will do anything to stop him."  
  
Shasti let go of Rei's shoulder as if it was on fire, backing away from her. Rei turned, her face suddenly twisted in confusion.  
  
Shasti turned towards the wall. So much for thinking that she was magically better after her stay in Oz. She took a deep breath, and heard Deirdre's voice whispering in her ear. "Just because she believes it doesn't mean you have to."  
  
Shasti nodded and turned back towards the group. "Sorry," she said. She looked down at Rei. "I keep forgetting that you had a different relationship with the Central Computer than I did. I shouldn't let it bother me." *But it does,* she thought to herself.  
  
Rei's eyes widened, as she realised what Shasti meant. "I..."  
  
Shasti took her shoulder again. "We'll discuss it later," she said. Rei nodded and looked back down. Her body was starting to shiver again, and Shasti and Deirdre moved closer to try and relax her.  
  
Hilda stood up. "I think we'd better get moving. Lazarus and I have provisionally approved Deirdre's plan, provided that the three of you understand that Minerva will be in charge once you get to Gauda Prime." The agents nodded.  
  
"Lazarus, Laz, Lor and I will go first, attempting to sneak into Jimmy's little compound and rescue Mr. Weinberg. An hour after we leave, whether we've returned or not, the main force will go in and subdue the 3WA agents Jimmy has brought there. While that is happening, Minerva will lead her team in and attempt to ascertain Jimmy's location. Once Jimmy has been taken care of and Weinberg rescued, we pull out. Does everyone understand?" There were nods all around.  
  
"We'll start in two hours then. Let's hope everything goes smoothly."  
  
As the meeting broke up, Shasti and Deirdre helped Rei to her feet. Rei was still staring off into space, but at least her shaking had stopped.  
  
"Rei, we need to talk," Shasti said.  
  
The girl shook her head violently, then turned to Shasti. "I have to talk with Asuka."  
  
Deirdre smiled. "We'll go with you. It'll save time, and we'll see if she can help us with any information about Jimmy."  
  
Rei nodded, then smiled. "Thank you...for understanding."  
  
Shasti grinned. "Hey, been there, done that," she joked.  
  
***  
  
Asuka stared at the wall and tried not to scream.  
  
She was incredibly bored. You'd think with all of the futuristic technology she'd seen in her short time in Boondock, they would be able to wave a saltshaker over her and make her magically better. But Ishtar had explained that technology may get better and better, but the human body was still essentially the same, and needed time to heal itself.  
  
Besides, this was penance. If Asuka just waltzed out of here with no repercussions, she'd just make the same mistake again next time. She needed to sit here and realise that her hot temper and loss of control had once again taken over, and made it easy for Jimmy to defeat her.  
  
In any case, if she didn't keep castigating herself, she'd have to start thinking about Jimmy. That just brought back the anger again. Asuka had a lot of anger in her, right from her childhood. Anger at her mother, for forcing her to constantly succeed. Anger at 3WA, for keeping her from moving on, constantly reminding her of her failure. Anger at Rei, for being an experiment of which Asuka was essentially a negligible part (although that wasn't Rei's fault, admittedly). Anger at herself, for listening to her mother and 3WA and regarding herself as a failure.  
  
But all of that seemed to pale before the white hot rage she felt for Jimmy. The way that he'd used her, used Rei, used everyone he'd ever met. The smug grin on his face that showed he enjoyed every minute of it. And the insane gleam in his eyes as he'd nailed her to a wall like a trophy.  
  
She despised Jimmy with a pure and righteous rage that would never be stopped until he was dead.  
  
Which meant that she could never be the one to do it.  
  
She looked up as the door opened. Two people stood in the doorway, familiar to her even though she'd never met them in person. Shasti and Deirdre, the original perfect 3WA team that all others were measured against, even after Shasti's breakdown. The two that Jimmy had asked her and Rei to find any information about, and bring to justice.  
  
Rei was hovering behind them, looking apprehensive. Asuka tried to smile, though it still felt forced, and waved them in.  
  
Shasti and Deirdre walked in and sat down by Asuka's bed. They looked friendly enough. *More of Jimmy's disinformation,* Asuka mused to herself.  
  
Rei remained at the door, not daring to look Asuka in the eyes. Asuka remembered the last conversation they'd had, how with the raw pain and emotion still within her, she'd lashed out at Rei. But looking at the girl in the door now, Asuka was rather surprised to discover that that anger was gone now. Rei was as much a victim of Jimmy as she was, and it would be petty of Asuka to hold it against her.  
  
She turned to Shasti and Deirdre. "It's really you, isn't it?"  
  
Deirdre spoke up, "Well, depends on your definition of 'real', but yeah."  
  
Asuka looked back at Rei, and found herself able to genuinely smile for the first time. "Well then, mission accomplished...partner."  
  
The expression on Rei's face was wonderful to behold. For a moment, there was disbelief, and then a look of such happiness and relief that Asuka almost cried in sympathy.  
  
To her relief, Rei did not rush over and hug her or anything like that. But she did move into the room and sit by the side of the bed, reaching out to grasp Asuka's hand. "How are you?" she asked.  
  
Asuka considered this for a few seconds before answering. "Better. Still laid up, though." She sighed. "You're all getting ready to go take him down, aren't you?"  
  
They nodded. "Rei wanted to come see you, and we came along as well to introduce ourselves and see if you knew anything that could help us," Shasti said.  
  
"Best I can do, I guess," Asuka sighed. "Not gonna be doing much else here."  
  
Suddenly Rei's hands squeezed hers. She looked up to see Rei staring at her sombrely.  
  
"Don't," she said quietly.  
  
Asuka knew what she was talking about, and shrugged. "You're asking me to change the habits of a lifetime. Beating myself up is what I do best." She'd meant her tone to sound light, but none of the others seemed to find it amusing.  
  
She blinked, realising something. "They're letting you go on this mission?" she asked Rei.  
  
Deirdre answered. "Asuka, we're at H-hour here. We don't have that many options left to us, and we have to use all of them. We'll be with Rei to make sure she's all right, and Minerva's with us as well."  
  
Asuka straightened up a bit. "Is there any way I could have a link with Rei? One way audio, maybe, to help her out a little."  
  
"We thought of that," Shasti replied, shaking her head. "But there's really no reliable communication between here and the universe you come from. That's why Bast had to go in blind as well."  
  
Well, so much for that, Asuka thought. That left only one option. "OK. One thing, though. I've fought with Jimmy, and lost, badly. The reason I lost is because I lost my temper. I wasn't thinking anymore, I was just reacting. That's how Jimmy works. He'll try to drive you into that state, and then he'll use it. Don't let him make you mad. Ignore him, stop him, whatever it takes. But don't let him get under your skin."  
  
Shasti nodded. "That's what he does best, though."  
  
"I know. No one ever said this would be easy," Asuka replied. She turned to Rei. "Will you remember what I said?" she asked pointedly, referring to Rei's emotional variances.  
  
Rei took a deep breath. "I'll try," she said. Her eyes looked troubled, though, and Asuka knew that it wouldn't take much to make her snap.  
  
"I wish we had more time," she said, after a long silence. "I wish I could go with you. Get that bastard for me, will you?"  
  
They stood. "We will," Shasti promised.  
  
Shasti and Deirdre smiled at Asuka, then left the room. After a moment Rei stood up as well.  
  
"I want you to be there," she said.  
  
Asuka smiled. "I want to be there. But that's not gonna happen. So just do your best, and I'll be here when you get back."  
  
Rei smiled weakly, and Asuka thought she saw some moisture behind her eyes. Then Rei stood, turning away again.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered, and ran from the room.  
  
Asuka lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. *Well, inner demons, I guess it's just you and me again,* she thought.  
  
***  
  
"The one thing all of you have to remember is that *you* have the advantage here. They are bringing the battle to you. We've been here for over two weeks now, and have drilled until all of you know Gauda Prime like the back of your hands."  
  
Jimmy turned, and almost overbalanced, but caught himself in time. It could just be seen as overexcitement, if no one really thought about it much.  
  
He wiped an arm over his brow, and found it was already getting slick with sweat. Better wrap this up quickly, it was getting to the point where he wasn't sure he'd be able to make it back to his office.  
  
He stopped, and smiled warmly at the trouble consultants before him. Though they weren't the all-time best (most of those had been snatched away by Shasti), but they were still good people. He'd been in charge of the Worlds Welfare Work Association for over a year now, and it had never looked better.  
  
"This is gonna be a big one, folks. We're battling a madwoman to secure our future. Not all of us are going to make it back. But I think most of us will. You people are the best 3WA has to offer, and seeing all of you in front of me, I know you won't let this organisation down. Let's do good, people."  
  
He grinned as a cheer rose up. He knew, looking at some of the younger ones, that they were a bit in awe of him. They rarely dealt with him, seeing him and the Central Computer as the invisible figureheads.  
  
But he still trusted them. As much as he trusted his lover. As much as he trusted himself. As much as he had trusted Bast.  
  
That is to say, not at all.  
  
He needed to get back to the office. Back to the silence, out of the range of prying eyes. Where he didn't have to dissemble, didn't have to pretend this was something different than it was.   
  
Revenge. Revenge on Shasti.  
  
He smiled as he walked through the agents, nodding to a few of him. Inside though, he knew it was getting bad. He needed to do something, and he suspected that something drastic would be the only solution.  
  
He stopped next to one of the newer pairs, two girls who looked as if they'd barely reached legal age. Miaka, his mind told him. He thanked whatever powers watched over him that he still had a few of his faculties left. Not many, but enough to keep him going until this was done.  
  
He touched her arm, and smiled disarmingly when she jumped. "Miaka, is it?" he asked, trying to look unsure.  
  
She blushed. "Yes, sir! Miaka and Yui, the Heavenly Hosts!"  
  
He chuckled. "Interesting choice of names. In any event...Miaka, would you mind if I used you in a tactical side mission? It's vitally important, understand."  
  
If anything, her blush deepened. "Of course, sir! We'll take on any mission you give to us!"  
  
"Ah, that's the problem. This has to be secret, you understand. I can only use one of you."  
  
Miaka boggled. "But sir, then why choose me?!"  
  
Jimmy lowered his voice, as if imparting some great secret. "I can't tell you that right here in the open, Miaka. But I can assure you that you were the first choice I had for this."  
  
While her mouth remained open, he turned to her partner, a slightly taller blond girl who was looking a little upset. "Yui, I apologise for being forced to do this. I know that the structure of 3WA encourages working with your partner. But it is necessary, believe me."  
  
Yui looked as if she was about to object, but nodded. "Does...does this mean I'll have to sit out the mission?"  
  
He slapped her on the back, a little too forcefully. "Of course not! Lots of teams here would be glad to have you as a third!" He quickly looked around, seeing if he could spot anyone that wouldn't have a violent apoplectic fit at the very thought.  
  
"Lina! Naga! Could you come over here for a moment?" He removed his hand from Yui's shoulder when he noticed it was shaking. He'd better wrap this up quickly.  
  
The two agents who walked over were enough to make any sane person run away from them screaming even when spotted from a distance. In training, they'd been voted 'Most likely to surpass the Lovely Angels' record for destroyed worlds'. The two of them appeared to deeply despise each other, constantly spouting abuse. But in spite of it all, they were one of the best teams to come out of the 3WA since the Angels. The only thing working against them was their inexperience.  
  
That did not, however, make them any less annoying.  
  
"Naga, I am not going to tell you again. SHUT UP!!!"  
  
"Ohhohohohohohoho!!! I understand, Lina! Very well, I admit my intellectual superiority over you to save you doing it yourself. Ohhohohoho--"  
  
"Ladies," Jimmy said, putting steel in his voice.  
  
To their credit, they stopped immediately. "Sorry, sir," they said in unison.  
  
"Lina, Naga, this is Yui, part of one of our newest teams, the Heavenly Hosts. Now, I need her team-mate, Miaka, on a special mission, so she's going to be joining you. Is that understood?"  
  
Both of them looked as if they wanted to object, but didn't say anything. "Yes sir," Naga answered.  
  
He turned back to Yui, and was amused to see that she looked vaguely ill. "Yui, these are Lina and Naga, also known as the Slayers. I presume you've heard of them?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Good! They'll take you under their wing, and between the three of you, this mission will be over in no time! Good luck!"  
  
"..." Yui continued.  
  
He turned, putting Yui out of his mind. He was amazed people weren't staring at him now. He could feel his body shaking, and was starting to get a cold sweat pooling in the small of his back.  
  
"Miaka, if you'll come with me, I'll let you know what you'll be needed for."  
  
She nodded and followed him as he walked back down the hall towards his office. It was only about a hundred feet, but it seemed like an age to Jimmy. He wanted this to end. He wanted Shasti dead, Rei dead, Cory dead, the Angels dead...then he'd be happy. Honest.  
  
As he entered his office, the strain became too much for him to bear. He fell to his knees near the desk, clutching his head in pain. He felt like his brain had little worms in it, writhing to get out. He giggled for a moment at the image, then bit his tongue, trying to retain some modicum of control. A few seconds more, he told himself. Just a few seconds more.  
  
He heard a gasp from the doorway. Miaka. "Oh my god! Sir, are you alright?"  
  
He held a hand up. "I'll be fine. Just help me to my seat." He needed to make sure she didn't leave.  
  
"Sir, I should get help!"  
  
He shook his head vehemently. "I don't want to take anyone away from the preparations. I'll be fine in a few minutes." Well, that much was true anyway. This time he couldn't stop it, and felt a laugh bubble in his throat. He stopped after a few seconds. "Help me up."  
  
She walked over and tried to help him to his feet, but for some reason he couldn't keep his balance enough to stay upright. For the moment, he remained on his knees, Miaka's arms around his shoulders. He reached up for his desk, and managed to locate the door lock mechanism. One problem solved, thank goodness.  
  
He looked up at the young trouble consultant. She was actually quite pretty, her brown hair tied up on her head with two white ribbons. She was looking at his with an expression of concern and worry, and despite everything, he felt the need to reassure her.  
  
"Don't worry," he said hoarsely. "I've been having these attacks for the past few days. Probably comes from lack of sleep. There's a lot I have to take care of for this mission, you know. It can't afford to go wrong."  
  
"But sir," she asked. "Surely your health comes first! I mean, what happens if you end up collapsing during an attack?"  
  
Jimmy smiled. "That's a very good point, Miaka. And you're right, I do need to take care of this problem. But I think I've figured out what I need to do. That's why I've asked you here."  
  
He almost laughed again as her confusion was replaced by bewilderment. "Um...I'll do whatever I can, sir, of course."  
  
"Good. You see, you were perfect for this, Miaka. You're a good agent, but inexperienced. In other circumstances, I might actually regret what I have to do. But I'm sure you'll understand, my needs as the head of 3WA have to come over the needs of others."  
  
She nodded, clearly not understanding. "Are we talking about a blood transfusion, sir?"  
  
He couldn't take this anymore. He couldn't continue to lead her on while his mind was screaming out.  
  
Screaming for a life.  
  
He grabbed the back of her neck, as if to lift himself into a standing position, and then smashed the side of her face against his desk.  
  
He heard a crack as her jaw met the oak, and knew that it had probably been dislocated. He then pulled her back and slammed her against the opposite wall, following up with a kick to her solar plexus.  
  
Already his head felt like a dam had burst, releasing the pent-up rage and anger he had been holding for so long. Trying to keep this operation together, trying to keep himself looking like the capable head of 3WA when all he really wanted to do was to find Shasti and beat her to death with his own hands.  
  
Miaka wasn't Shasti, but she was making a nice substitute. He leaped onto her body, which was only just beginning to rise from the floor, and aimed a fist at her face.  
  
Amazingly enough, she blocked it. He stopped, giving her an appraising look. She looked as if she was in agony. "You must have been better than I thought. A shame." He grinned at her, enjoying the look of pain and suffering she was giving him.  
  
Then he grabbed the arm she had blocked with both hands, and snapped the bone neatly in two. A small whimper escaped her lips, and the offending limb fell to the ground.  
  
Jimmy didn't give her a chance to react, but grabbed her chin, paying no attention to the blood dripping down his fingers. "Did I give you permission to speak?" he asked her politely. Then he began to pummel her face, using both his hands to pound her eyes, nose, and mouth into a big bloody mess. His grin got wider and wider as he felt all of the energy he had lost over the past few days come back to him. He felt like a new man.  
  
He felt Miaka's legs trying to kick him off of her, but by now she was far too weak to accomplish much. Still, it was the thought that counted. He bent over, carefully standing on her left leg, and grabbed her foot. Then he yanked up, hearing yet another bone snap. He did the same with her right leg. By now any signs of struggling had ceased, and looking down he noticed that she had finally fallen unconscious. He sighed and kicked her once again, sending her broken body into the centre of the room.  
  
By now he was positively burning with energy. Why hadn't he thought of this earlier? This was what he was really like, the true Jimmy Daltrey, not the pretender who was forced to follow the rules of an organisation that had decided to abandon him at his birth.  
  
He almost fell over, but this time it was from feelings of power, not fatigue. He wouldn't be getting any more fun from Miaka, but that didn't stop him from any of the others. He sprang for the door, ready to find someone else to help his cause.  
  
It was locked. Thinking back, he remembered locking it in order to keep the girl from escaping, and quickly walked back to his desk to reset the switch.  
  
Running back to the door, he threw it open -- and was met with the face of Cory, staring back at his with a combination of shock and disgust.  
  
"Oh, Jesus Christ!" she said, shoving him back into the room. She slammed the door shut and locked it from there, then turned to face Jimmy.  
  
"Have you any concept of what you just risked, Jimmy? My God, look at yourself! If you'd gone out there, everything would have been lost!"  
  
Jimmy looked down. He had to admit, there was an awful lot of blood. And some white fragments - was that bone? He couldn't be sure. He wandered over to check the desk and see if he found any there.  
  
"Jimmy." Cory was using her don't-fuck-with-me voice, and Jimmy sighed, giving up on his investigation for now.  
  
"Cory, listen to me," he said, walking over to her. "You yourself have been saying how run down I've been lately, how I need to be in top shape for the coming battle. I knew it too, of course. This was a desperate measure. I had to wait till the last minute. But it worked! I am in absolute tip-top shape, and it only cost us one agent! Don't you think that was worth it?"  
  
Cory didn't seem to be all that impressed. "Then where were you going when you opened the door just now?"  
  
He was saved from having to answer that by a small grunt from the floor. He stared down at the mangled body of Miaka in amazement. "You mean she's still alive? Good Lord!"  
  
Cory sighed and got out her pistol. Jimmy raised a hand to stop her. "No, wait, I've got a brilliant idea! We'll go off and leave her here, tenaciously clinging to life! Shasti and the others will find her and nurse her slowly back to health, though she will of course carry a few scars of the fight with me - deliberately, so that she doesn't forget. Then, years later, when we've finally relaxed and are sure nothing is going to happen, she'll quietly sneak into my apartment and reveal herself to me the second before she kills me, thus gaining the vengeance and respite she has long sought!" He grinned, looking at Cory maniacally. "What do you think?"  
  
Cory sighed and walked over to the body. She put the gun to Miaka's temple and pressed the trigger, vaporising half of her head. "Jimmy, please try to keep serious."  
  
For a moment, Jimmy stood still, staring at Cory standing over the corpse. Then he moved quickly, grabbing her arm and throwing her against the wall. Before she could move, he hemmed her in with both arms, staring directly into her eyes.  
  
"Cory, do you love me?"  
  
He was rewarded by seeing her face move from anger to confusion. "Jimmy, what kind of question is that?"  
  
"Well, you have to admit that I have a right to be paranoid. After all, 3WA has betrayed me, Shasti has betrayed me, Bast has betrayed me...it would make perfect sense, don't you think?" He reached out, stroking her face lightly, barely touching it. "Now, let me repeat myself: Do...you...love me?"  
  
There. There was the expression he had been waiting to see, the one he so rarely saw from her but desired the most.  
  
Fear. She was afraid of him.  
  
"Jimmy, of course I love you," she said quietly.  
  
He remained where he was for a moment, savouring the emotions he now felt. It was almost a transcendent experience. Sadly, he couldn't let it go on for very long. Cory was right, there were more important things to deal with right now.  
  
Things like Shasti. Her death mattered over everything else.  
  
He quickly let Cory up and began to pace across the room, thinking aloud to himself. "Alright, we've got the agents primed and ready to move. Hopefully they'll react as we've suggested and shoot before asking questions. If not, we have our backup plan. Cory, did you secure the crew?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes, though I'm still not sure of the wisdom of that. These aren't your trained agents, Jimmy, they're press. I'm the reporter, but they do have minds of their own."  
  
Jimmy laughed. "Then we'll have to make sure that they see the right things. In any case, that's a backup plan. I have full confidence that our agents will be able to destroy Shasti's forces."  
  
Looking back, he noticed Cory was looking slightly sick. "What's the matter, dear?"  
  
She motioned downwards. "Jimmy..."  
  
He looked down and smiled. "Whoops. Shows where my mind is." He bent down and ran his hands through the gore that had once been Miaka's head. "Say, there *is* bone here!" he cried in glee.  
  
"Jimmy, *please!" Cory shouted.  
  
"In any event," he said, straightening up, "we've no more time to be wasting around here. By now the battle should have started, and I don't want to let anyone else get their hands on Shasti." His voice dropped menacingly. "She's *mine*."  
  
Cory nodded. "So what do you need me to do?" She was deferring to him, that was a good sign, he mused.  
  
Jimmy thought for a moment. "Go check on Bast. They'll probably try to make some sort of rescue attempt, and I want to make sure it doesn't succeed." He smiled warmly at her. "I trust you."  
  
She grinned. "I know. I trust you too, Jimmy."  
  
*Bullshit,* he thought to himself. But he did walk over and give her a deep kiss, one last taste of her before the end. He had no illusions that Shasti's forces probably would rescue Bast, and kill Cory as well. But he didn't really care. They could rescue anyone they chose to as long as he got to kill Shasti.  
  
He walked over to the wall behind the desk and slammed a fist against it. It dropped down, revealing a secret cache of weapons. Jimmy grabbed one of the larger guns and brandished it like a sword, pointing it straight up in the air.  
  
"Wake up!" he shouted. "Time to die!"  
  
***  
  
Yui was hanging as far back as she possibly could from her fellow agents, trying to figure out what god she had annoyed to end up in this particular situation.  
  
She had spent her entire training learning to work with Miaka. It hadn't been easy at first, as Miaka was a bit more cheerful and outgoing than Yui would have liked, but eventually they learned to function as quite a good team. They'd even managed to become good friends, and this mission was going to be their first chance to prove themselves.  
  
Unfortunately, Jimmy had picked Miaka for some secret mission, and stuck Yui with another team. Yui didn't want to admit it to herself, but she was more than a little annoyed at not being picked for whatever Jimmy had planned. She had had slightly higher scores than Miaka all through the training for 3WA. What sort of mission did he need her on?  
  
*Maybe it's some kind of PR thing,* Yui thought to herself. *They needed someone to be cute and perky...* Then she mentally slapped herself. *Stop trying to blame Miaka for this! It's not her fault! Get focused!*  
  
Trying to concentrate on the pair in front of her, however, was not exactly the best way to go about it. Especially as they didn't seem to be paying any attention to their surroundings anyway. The two girls seemed to spend equal time striking poses and sniping at each other. She tried to listen in on what they were saying.  
  
"So, what, we essentially walk around until we find someone trying to kill us, then we kill them? Sounds kinda pointless to me," Lina was saying.  
  
"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!" Yui winced. The instructors at 3WA had been so impressed with the raw pain inspired by Naga's laugh that they had allowed her to classify it as a weapon, and it was considered capable of shattering eardrums if used at full power. Naga was in a good mood though, so it only served to make Yui feel like someone was running a razor blade down her spinal cord.  
  
"Lina, you're assuming that Jimmy even *had* a plan in the first place! Did you listen to him? He has no idea what's going to happen, so he's sending us out randomly in hopes one of us will trip over the enemy!"  
  
Yui stared openly at Naga. She'd never heard anyone criticise Jimmy openly. There was never a reason given, but it was one of the great unwritten laws that you just DIDN'T. To her amazement, Lina was nodding and making sounds of agreement.  
  
"Yeah, even for Jimmy, this is one sucky plan. I keep wondering if he just plans to use us all as cannon fodder and start off 3WA fresh."  
  
Naga snorted, making her chest perform even more aerodynamic impossibilities. "I doubt that it's even that complex. He's trying to play the whole thing down, but I get the feeling this is just Jimmy out for revenge. For some reason, he's got a big grudge against Shasti, and is using the whole 'She's a threat to our organisation, do it for 3WA, win one for the Angels' type thing as a ploy. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up calling us all off so he can kill her himself."  
  
By now Yui was scanning the corridors ahead and behind her, sure that this was some twisted plan to test her loyalty. She would speak, but she was afraid her voice would come out as a squeak.  
  
Lina was growling. "So what are we supposed to be *doing*? You're really good at talking about *why* we're doing nothing, but not about what to do!"  
  
"OHOHOHOHO-coughcough..." croaked Naga as an elbow to the gut cut her laugh off in mid ho. "Lina, face up to facts. We have to march around and look for bad guys. If we try anything fancy, Jimmy might think we were getting weird. You *know* what happens in that case..."  
  
Lina shivered and nodded. Yui began to relax as she noted that while the two of them might say traitorous things, they were smart enough not to act on them. She decided to try venturing an opinion.  
  
"Um...well, I imagine they'd need to find an open area...at least if they're planning to unload a lot of people...we could try some of the larger areas?"  
  
For a moment, Lina and Naga stared at her.  
  
"...good plan," Lina grumbled.  
  
"...nicely thought out," Naga muttered at the same time.  
  
That appeared to be all the compliments they were going to give her, as they quickly strode down the hall, being as loud and obnoxious as they were before. Yui sighed, and made a mental note to never become a promising 3WA agent, as it appeared to involve going insane.  
  
They were headed into a junction where four corridors converged, and quickly drew out their guns in case of an ambush. Unfortunately, the precaution did them no good at all, as when they arrived in the centre of the junction they were immediately surrounded by a force wall.  
  
Lina, doing what came naturally, decided to take a shot at it. Naga and Yui immediately fell to the ground and covered their heads. "Lina, you IDIOT!" Naga screamed. The bolt from her blaster bounced off the wall and immediately began to ricochet around the force walls, narrowly missing the three agents. Lina squeaked and dove to the ground, cowering as the shot missed her shoulder by only an inch or two. Eventually it burnt itself out, amazingly not having done damage to any of them.  
  
Naga and Yui stared at Lina for a moment. After a second or two she raised her hand to the back of her head. "Aheheheheh...guess I kinda forgot...um...hey, aren't we trapped or something?"  
  
The three of them looked up to see who it was that had captured them. Standing about ten feet above them, balanced perfectly on what appeared to be nothing at all, were the Lovely Angels. Or at least some incredibly accurate duplicates.  
  
"Hi there!" Yuri (or her clone) said. "We're the Lovely Angels!"  
  
Next to her, Kei grinned. "And we're here to lead you to paradise."  
  
Unseen by the 3WA agents within the field, a small redhead was standing to one side, operating a complicated control mechanism and muttering to herself.  
  
"Feh...we need you to work the force-field, Zen...it wouldn't look the same with three of us, Zen...you'd just mess up the symmetry, Zen...Zen has had enough...she's moving to Australia when this is over..."  
  
***  
  
Minerva had her team dropped off on the outskirts of the battle, almost opposite from where Lazarus and Hilda had gone. She suspected that Jimmy would be trying to get at Shasti more than any of the others, and therefore wanted to give them as much of a chance to get to Bast and get him out as possible.  
  
Their mission was simple on paper. They were to track down Jimmy and kill him. Asuka had already told them of the clones they had found and killed; with any luck, if they managed to kill *this* Jimmy he would stay dead.  
  
Minerva held no sympathy for him at all. Like the others, she had her own personal reasons for wanting him dead. She had studied the Central Computer's history. Some of its motives may have been questionable, but it was undoubtedly sentient. Its pointless slaughter by Jimmy angered Minerva, even without considering her own past.  
  
They now had to consider what plan of action to take. They didn't want to draw attention to either Jubal's or Hilda's teams, but on the other hand they wanted to try and find Jimmy as quickly as possible. Minerva checked to make sure the corridor in front of them was clear before holding up a hand.  
  
"We're not going to simply walk around and wait for Jimmy to come find us. Thoughts on what actions he might take?" She was looking at Rei and Shasti as she said this. She wasn't altogether comfortable with either of them being on this mission, but if they were supposed to be experts in Jimmy's behaviour, she wanted them to start theorising.  
  
Rei didn't seem to be paying attention, staring down at her feet. Shasti was more attentive, but she seemed to be staring in the opposite direction, up at the ceiling. After a moment she spoke.  
  
"When I was at large, I remember that looking good was even more important to me than getting money. That was one of the ways that LaCombe was able to keep my various selves appeased, playing on my vanity and ego. I was always ready to take the flashier, more flamboyant way of doing things. From what I've seen of him, Jimmy might be the same."  
  
"He is the same," Deirdre continued. Minerva was relieved to see that she didn't use her airheaded Valley accent while on a mission. "Remember that he used to have a split personality as well. Jim was the logical, abrupt part of him. He used me as his plan. Let me get to Shasti, then kill her while she had her guard down." Minerva could see Deirdre's face colour at this, and Shasti placed a protective hand on her shoulder. "But Jim's dead now, from all the information we have. And Jimmy...hell, you remember the fight with the mindwiped agents. It didn't make sense at all, and could have easily been traced back to him, but he used it anyway. It was flashy and flamboyant. And now that he's the sole personality, it can only have gotten worse."  
  
Rei hadn't reacted through all of this, but now she spoke, though she still didn't lift her eyes from the floor. "We also have to remember that he is now insane."  
  
Shasti nodded. "Right." She was the one colouring now, being forced to draw on her own memories and experiences, the ones she had done her best this past month to suppress. "That means he is totally unpredictable. He is capable of things that we wouldn't even consider, and his mind can make leaps that would seem incomprehensible."  
  
Minerva nodded, pleased at the team's response. "That can be both an advantage and a disadvantage," she said quietly. "He might decide on something on the spur of the moment without thinking of the ramifications. But from our point of view, we have to go about this rationally. Assume Jimmy's main goal is to kill Shasti in as grand and flamboyant a way as possible. How would he do it?"  
  
Rei spoke up again. "I'll go keep watch. It's best that Jimmy doesn't find me. I want to keep my promise to Asuka, and I don't think I could if I saw him." With that she walked further down the corridor, keeping her weapon trained.  
  
Shasti and Deirdre stared after her, mostly amazed that she had spoken so much at one time. Then they turned back to Minerva.  
  
"As for what he might do, he's already done it, to an extent. Look around us," Deirdre said. "We're in a complex on the outskirts of this solar system, in a maze of old, faded metal corridors, and trying to kill Jimmy before he kills us. You must admit, he set this up perfectly. We even helped him, sending Bast in there as a decoy that Jimmy could use against us. It's the perfect action movie plot."  
  
"With Jimmy as the hero," Shasti pointed out.  
  
Suddenly an explosion sounded, and they saw Rei run off towards the sound. Minerva sighed. "Stay together, people. With Jimmy, anything and everything could be a trap."  
  
They headed more cautiously down the corridor. Shasti's mind was racing, trying to figure out how Jimmy might try to get to her. He'd not only want to kill her, but probably personally torture and humiliate her as well. In order to do that...he'd need to know where she was and what she was doing. A cold thought struck her. She and Deirdre, despite everything they'd just said, had assumed the fight would be fairly clean and above-board. But if they took nothing for granted...  
  
"We're bugged," she burst out. "Jimmy's heard everything we've just said."  
  
Deirdre and Minerva turned towards her, surprised. And at that moment Shasti saw a glimpse of something high above, just a flash of glinting metal.  
  
*Oh my God. The ducts. He's in the goddamn ducts.*  
  
"GET DOWN!" she screamed, firing up into the ventilator above her. Even as she said it, a shot came out of nowhere, missing Deirdre's head by a quarter of an inch and taking off a lock of blonde hair. She tucked into a ball and rolled down the corridor, jumping up again with her gun out and ready.  
  
Unfortunately, this meant that she wasn't close to Shasti and Minerva. A large metal door, looking much stronger than the aged metal of the corridors, fell down in front of Shasti, cutting her off from her partner. Minerva quickly spun and headed towards Rei's last position, but another shutter fell, blocking her.  
  
Shasti cursed and kicked the metal. "How many stupid plans does he have, anyway?"  
  
Minerva grabbed her wrist. "Come on. We still have one way open to us."  
  
"Of course we do," Shasti spat. "He doesn't want to trap us, he wants to split us up. It's a lot easier to fight his way individually than in a group."  
  
Minerva paused, thinking that over, and then nodded. "In that case, we need to rely on Rei and Deirdre to defend themselves as best we can while we try and stop Jimmy. Remember, his primary goal is you...Shasti, are you all right?"  
  
Shasti was standing stock still, her eyes wide. She was remembering something Asuka had said not long ago.  
  
*Don't let him make you mad,* she had said. *Ignore him, stop him, whatever it takes. But don't let him get under your skin.*  
  
"It's not me at all," she whispered. "He's after Deirdre. He's going to kill her in order to make me lose control."  
  
***  
  
Lazarus and Hilda stared at the small doorway with no small measure of disbelief. According to Gay Deceiver, this was where Bast was being kept, but there wasn't a soul anywhere near it. The entire floor seemed to be deserted.  
  
Looking around, Lazarus raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised there isn't a giant glowing neon arrow pointing to the door with the words 'TRAP'."  
  
Hilda smirked. "Actually, this isn't as surprising as it looks. Think about it. If the 3WA agents Jimmy is using *aren't* mindwiped, then it makes sense that he wants to keep their loyalty. And he's not going to keep their loyalty by showing them one of their own being brutally tortured. Therefore Mr. Weinberg is probably a well-kept secret, as we can see." She walked up to the door, trying to find any alarms or booby traps. "Besides, I rather doubt that he's going to be in any condition to stroll out of here. Lazarus, there is nothing stopping us from opening this door and walking in."  
  
Lazarus ran his fingers through his hair. "Fine. Let's go in, see how far we can get, and when the trap springs, deal with it then. OK?"  
  
Hilda nodded. "Sounds good to me," she said. She raised a hand to the panel, and the door slid open.  
  
It was very easy to spot Bast; the room was entirely bare except for his slumped figure shackled to the wall. He had iron cuffs around his ankles and remaining wrist, but was otherwise naked. His stump where his left arm had been seemed to have cauterised, luckily. He appeared to have a broken jaw, as well as numerous tiny cuts to the chest and stomach area. He was breathing heavily through his nose.  
  
Lazarus and Hilda ran over to him. Hilda noted the pan of water within reach. "He's been able to drink. I'm rather surprised. Jimmy must be getting soft."  
  
"More likely that they needed him alive to be able to use him as bait," Lazarus said. Fingering the chains, he decided to blast them off a ways down, not wanting to take the chance of hurting him further before Ishtar could take care of him.  
  
Bast stirred, and moaned quietly. Hilda moved up to his face, smiling gently. "Take it easy, Bast. We're going to take you back to Boondock and get you fixed up." She paused. "I'm sorry that this happened to you."  
  
Lazarus cut the chain off of his right leg and looked up at the two of them. "We've got our best people out there right now, making sure as few of the 3WA agents are hurt as possible. Don't worry, everything's being taken care of." His face, too, held the guilt that Hilda's had.  
  
Bast stared at them for a few seconds, seeming not to comprehend. Then he looked down at the blaster in Lazarus' hand, and motioned for it with his free hand.  
  
Lazarus frowned. "Mr. Weinberg, you're in no shape to stand, much less carry a gun."  
  
Hilda sighed. "Lazarus, if it makes him feel better, give him a gun. It'll only be a few hundred yards."  
  
Lazarus considered arguing, but thought better of it. He took out his extra blaster pistol and slipped it into Bast's hand, waiting till the agent's fingers tightened round it. Then he manoeuvred Bast into a modified fireman's carry, trying not to jar him. With a nod at Hilda, they stood and made their way back to the door.  
  
"About time. I was wondering if you were going to sit there and mother him until I got bored."  
  
Lazarus looked up, startled at the voice. While he'd expected a trap, this was another matter. He frowned, ready to give Miss Emerson a long lecture on knowing when to stay put in the middle of a battle. Then he noticed her eyes.  
  
Hilda didn't even pause, and had her gun out, even as Cory had her own gun levelled at Hilda. "So, you're the clone we've been hearing so much about."  
  
Cory sighed. "No evil speeches, I'm not Jimmy. We're at a stalemate. You're covering me, I'm covering you, your companion can't reach his gun, and Bast is unconscious." Lazarus glanced down to see that Bast had indeed fallen limp, gun loosely clutched in his dangling right hand.  
  
Hilda's eyes narrowed. "So what do you recommend?"  
  
Cory smiled. "First, put Mr. Weinberg down. Then I'll shoot the both of you. After that, I'll kill him as well, then meet up with my camera crew to take care of the rest of your little gang."  
  
"You'll understand why I'm not entirely happy with that plan," Hilda added dryly.  
  
Cory shrugged. "I'm not going anywhere. It's a matter of stamina. Who can keep their gun pointed longest. I think I can win."  
  
At that point a beam of energy shot out of nowhere. It hit Cory right at the neck, neatly severing her head from her shoulders. The head rolled to a stop some feet away, still looking smug.  
  
Hilda and Lazarus looked down in surprise. Bast still looked unconscious, but his hand was turned so that the gun aimed directly at where Cory had been. He looked over at them and his eyes crinkled. Then he seemed to faint for real, the gun slipping out of his hands to the floor.  
  
Lazarus adjusted his hold on Bast so that he could weild his own weapon, then picked up the other gun. "Well, one problem solved. At least Cory will be happy."  
  
Hilda looked down at the body. "Relatively."  
  
They made their way back to Gay Deceiver unaccosted, met by Laz and Lor, who had a gaggle of questions for them. Lazarus and Hilda were more concerned with getting Bast ready to be seen by Ishtar, however.  
  
Upon arrival, they were met by Ishtar and Maureen, who started to take Bast's vitals. Cory was also lurking in the background, looking bored. Lazarus found her look of irritation upon seeing him curiously reassuring. He decided to go amuse himself a bit.  
  
"So, Miss Emerson, I thought you assured all of us that you didn't ever want to get near this sort of thing ever again."  
  
Cory snarled. "I'm not here for any sense of fulfilment, Lazarus. And I thought we were done with taunting me, remember?"  
  
Lazarus did, and raised his hands. "I'm sorry. Reflex. So you're here to see what information you can get on your friends?"  
  
She relaxed slightly, and nodded. "Kei and Yuri have been in and out of here for a while now, bringing various 3WA thugs with them." She ignored Lazarus' frown and continued. "But Shasti, Deirdre, Minerva and Rei have been quiet. And last time, Yuri said something about hearing a firefight going on in the distance."  
  
Lazarus frowned. "Could be Jubal's group. We did realise coming in that we might have to fight, Miss Emerson."  
  
"Jubal just reported in. They're having similar results to Kei and Yuri. It's not them."  
  
Hilda walked over. "I just told Laz and Lor to go back and see what assistance they could lend Jubal. I think we're going to have to let Minerva and her team handle Jimmy on their own. They have the experience working with him, we don't."  
  
"Did you mention what the Cory clone told us?"  
  
Cory turned. "You met the clone?" she asked.  
  
"She's dead now, Cory. Bast killed her."  
  
Cory looked a bit askance at this but said nothing. Lazarus had a feeling she'd wanted to kill the clone herself, and was rather relieved she hadn't gone along on this mission for exactly that reason.  
  
Getting back on topic, Lazarus asked, "What do you think she meant by meeting with the press?"  
  
Hilda frowned. "Some sort of faked publicity, I'm guessing. They could have things set up so that the 3WA would look honourable in case we win. A way of allowing Jimmy to rise from the ashes."  
  
"Do you think we can do anything about it? Maybe have Laz and Lor try to locate the camera team?"  
  
She frowned. "No, I want them to help Jubal. I'm not trying to be unkind, but Laz and Lor tend to get overexcited when they're near a camera. Besides, I don't think it affects the overall plan...where did Cory go?"  
  
Lazarus looked at the space where Cory had been a minute ago, then back at Gay Deceiver. The car rotated away before he could say anything.  
  
Hilda sighed. "She does like to get involved, doesn't she? I'll contact Laz and Lor. As long as she's there, I want her to let us know whatever she plans on doing."  
  
Lazarus was just staring at the ceiling. "I'm cursed, that's what it is."  
  
Ishtar smiled as Bast was wheeled away to the operating theatre set up in the corner. "Who told you? It was supposed to be a secret?"  
  
***  
  
Deirdre ran down the corridor, hearing the sounds of footsteps behind her, along with the occasional giggle. The giggles bothered her. It meant that Jimmy had finally lost it, and no one would be able to return him to reality. Certainly not her.  
  
On the other hand, she thought she understood what he was doing. It made a perverse kind of sense. He wanted to get to Shasti and make her lose her cool. What better way to do so than to kill her partner and best friend? Plus Jimmy had his own reasons to dislike her. He probably considered Deirdre to be an even worse traitor than Shasti, as she was Jim's pet project. She briefly wondered what Jimmy thought of his other personality, or if he ever mourned his loss...  
  
Suddenly she saw a flash of red coming towards her, and rolled quickly to the side. A bolt missed her head by about three inches. She quickly leapt to her feet and ran faster, telling herself to stop thinking about the inner turmoil she was going through and start thinking of a way to get away from Jimmy and back to Shasti. She'd lost her gun right at the start, and only had a few grenades as her arsenal. *Dammit, why aren't Kei and Yuri here? They always seem to be able to pull weapons out of nowhere,* she thought.  
  
She winced at the cuts on her elbows and knees where she'd hit the concrete. Unfortunately, there was no time to stop and bandage them...concrete?  
  
Deirdre focused more closely on the corridor she was fleeing down, and noticed that the construction had indeed changed from metal to concrete. *This has got to be the most patchwork-constructed base for an evil plot to take over the world I've ever seen,* she mused while taking out a mini-grenade. Risking a glance back over her shoulder, she noted that Jimmy was at last out of her line of sight. She could still hear him, though, laughing to himself somewhere further back.  
  
*Junction, junction...why are there never any doorways when you need them?* she thought. Finally coming to a doorway, she concealed herself in it, pulled the pin to the grenade but held back from removing it, and waited.  
  
She didn't have long to wait. About ten seconds later, she could hear Jimmy's footsteps tramping down the corridor. He was moving more silently, which worried Deirdre. She was hoping that he had finally lost his mind, thus proving to be easy to predict and manipulate. This silent running was showing she couldn't count him out yet.  
  
She freed the pin and rolled the grenade down the corridor, trying to time it so that he'd arrive at its position as it went off. Unfortunately, Jimmy appeared to pause once, perhaps checking behind him before continuing. This delay was enough, and the grenade went off a few meters in front of him.  
  
It was far more powerful than Deirdre had thought. The entire corridor collapsed in on itself, almost burying her in rubble. She tried to run from the avalanche of concrete, but was hit with a large chuck of it, throwing her against the floor hard. Vaguely, on the other side of the rubble, she heard Jimmy cursing. At least she's managed to trap him on the other side. That probably bought her a minute or two.  
  
Trying to get up, she gasped, feeling a sharp pain in her left wrist. She must have broken it in the fall. *So much for gaining time,* she thought as she stumbled down the next corridor.  
  
She needed a way to get away from Jimmy and find Shasti again. The corridor idea might work, but she'd have to control it this time, maybe hook the grenade to the ceiling. Plus she doubted Jimmy would fall for the same trick twice, and he was too determined. The only way she'd lose him is if he were to kill her...  
  
The corridor was getting more populated now, with the occasional door on either side. *The battle must have come down to here,* Deirdre thought sadly, looking at the body of a dead 3WA agent leaning up against the wall. The girl didn't look much different from her, in fact. Hilda had told them that casualties would be unavoidable, but nothing brought home the reality like this.  
  
Deirdre pulled out another grenade, looking up at the walls. *Well, if it took out the walls and ceiling back there...and if I time it right...* she mused. She checked the nearest door, ensuring it wasn't locked, and lay in wait, waiting for Jimmy's footsteps.  
  
After a few moments, she heard Jimmy, who seemed to be taking the corridor at a slower pace than she had. *He probably thinks that he can take his time down here, let me wander around until something goes wrong and he can kill me at his leisure.* He still was moving quickly, though, so she pulled out the pin and rolled the grenade out into the hall, hoping she'd timed it right.  
  
Jimmy's face appeared around the bend just as the grenade went off. Snarling, he dived back the way he'd came, managing to avoid most of the damage. *Shit,* Deirdre cursed to herself. Then she was thrown back into the room by a cloud of debris, jamming shut the door she'd been looking out of.  
  
She moved further back into the room now, waiting to see if he'd spotted her. She almost stumbled, tripping over something in the dark. She quickly bent down to move it, struggling awkwardly with her good hand while keeping her ears open for signs of Jimmy opening the door. Then she noticed what it was she was moving. Despite herself, she gasped quietly.  
  
It was another corpse, but this one couldn't have been made by Hilda's people. The girl appeared to have been systematically beaten to near-death, then shot in the head point-black. Her head was near dissolved, and her chest was half caved-in.  
  
More to the point, however, she was still carrying her gun. Deirdre grabbed it, wondering why the girl hadn't used it to defend herself. She didn't waste too much time worrying about it, however, instead going for the door with a running leap, intending to blow Jimmy's head off before he could do anything. The only person she could imagine killing the girl in this fashion was him. He was going to die.  
  
She slammed into the door at full velocity, nearly breaking her leg. She threw out a hand to stop herself, and gasped as her broken wrist smashed into the barrier as well.  
  
Cursing, she realised what must have happened, She'd not only taken out much of the corridor, but buried herself in here. Luckily, the door was of the old-fashioned hinge type, so she set to work cutting it down. It was arduous, however, especially with one broken wrist, and she realised that with all the noise she was making, it would be simple for Jimmy to simply wait with his gun and shoot her the moment she got out. And with his sanity seemingly gone, he might not even pause to gloat.  
  
When she finally got the door off its hinges and shoved away most of the debris, however, Jimmy was nowhere to be seen. Deirdre looked around, puzzled. Had he chosen to abandon her, chasing after one of the others instead?  
  
Then she noticed the rubble near where she had thrown the grenade. The corpse of the other agent was still there. Deirdre had forgotten all about her. Her body was buried beneath the rubble, except for one arm stretching itself out towards where Jimmy had been.  
  
An arm that was currently missing its hand.  
  
In a flash, Deirdre realised what must have gone through Jimmy's mind. He wanted her dead so he could torture Shasti with that knowledge. This was his own way of 'proving' that fact.  
  
Deirdre took off down the corridor, trying not to jostle her broken wrist. She had to find Shasti before Jimmy did.  
  
***  
  
Rei stared at yet another metal shutter in front of her, and kicked it sullenly. She considered trying to cut through it with her gun, but considering that hadn't worked on the last ten shutters she'd seen, it was unlikely to have much effect now.  
  
She remembered what Asuka had said to her before they left. *Don't let him get you mad.* But it was so hard. For a long time she'd longed to feel emotions the way Asuka had. All through their training, she struggled to find it within herself to shout, to laugh, to cry. She envied her partner so much, even considering the memory erasures and other atrocities committed on her by the Central Computer and Jimmy. Asuka was real, she was human. Rei looked at her and felt like some sort of doll, just a toy Jimmy used and threw back in the closet. Even talking with the Central Computer didn't help for long.  
  
Shaking her head, Rei tried to throw off her melancholy and follow the path she was being forced down. It was that that was so frustrating. If she's been trapped here, she could try to logically find a way to escape. But she wasn't trapped, she was just given the most meandering path possible through Jimmy's complex. It made her feel like a lab rat.  
  
*Don't let him get you mad.*  
  
Rei stood still, again trying to calm herself. She was unused to the concept. She'd always been perfectly calm before, never needing to rein in her feelings. Getting emotions was what she'd always dreamed of, but she didn't need them out of control. Especially not now, when there were more important things to worry about.  
  
One of the first things she'd done when they'd arrived was get on the network. It was something she'd been told not to do, for fear of a virus or other debilitating attack. Rei didn't care. She needed to know, needed to confirm for herself what they'd already told her. That the Central Computer had been killed by Jimmy.  
  
It was her mentor. Much more than Jimmy, it was the one she thought of as a parent. In a very real sense, in fact. Creating her had been its own idea, unlike Shasti and Jimmy, which had been 3WA projects. But she was the Central Computer's baby. Its dream, and hope for the future.   
  
And now she was his legacy, because he was truly gone. Nowhere on the entire system, not even in the places Jimmy could never find. Jimmy had eradicated him. Oh, the system still ran, programs still functioned...but it was truly soulless. There was no consciousness there anymore, no sentience.  
  
She was its legacy. And she had to find its killer.  
  
She began to run, bouncing off shutters whenever they came down in front of her. It didn't matter now, they were leading her to him. She was sure of it.  
  
She could hear Asuka's voice, telling her to calm down, but it was fainter now, and easier to ignore.  
  
Finally, she ended up in a large room, empty except for a screen above. Here. Jimmy would want to meet her here, make his stand. This was where she would get revenge on him, tearing him apart piece by piece.  
  
The screen lit up, showing Jimmy standing there, looking rather smug. "Hi! Suppose you're looking for me. Well, frankly, I couldn't care less about you now. I tried to get you to kill Shasti for me, didn't work, so now I have to do it myself. Still, I wanted to leave a little something for you, to make sure you felt you'd accomplished something." He held up a paper streamer. "Congratulations!" He bowed, and the screen went black.  
  
For a few moments Rei simply stared at the screen, dumbfounded. Then she screamed. It was a primal, throat-tearing cry of pure and utter rage.  
  
Shooting out the screen, she ran down a hall at random, screaming out her rage and grief. She would find Jimmy now. It was inevitable. Find him, and torture him. Make him pay for what he'd done to Asuka, to Shasti, to Deirdre, to Cory, to the Central Computer...she felt free now, as if something had been holding her back.  
  
She screamed again, and kept running.  
  
***  
  
Cory stopped at another junction, trying to remember the layout Hilda had given her. It was hard. She'd always been a little wary of dataplugs, but not having one made her memory a *lot* less reliable. And this was not the best time to be opening her mind to new experiences. Still, she picked what she believed was the correct path and set off, moving as quietly as possible through the corridors that were now mostly silent.  
  
Hopping into Gay Deceiver just as it was ready to leave was not, in retrospect, one of her brightest moves. She'd sworn blind to Kei, Yuri, *and* Lazarus that she was going to stay behind this time. She'd done enough. A lot of people were saved because of her. She didn't need to be there at Jimmy's final moments, she could relax.  
  
And now here she was, searching out a camera crew that her twisted evil clone had brought to the planet so that she could find Jimmy and show his downfall to the world, and perhaps do a little bit to redeem herself in the process. She had no idea why the actions of some evil clone would bother her, but they did. Maybe it was when Kei and Yuri had told her about what the Wildes had said. The Kei and Yuri clones weren't all that different from the originals. A bit more callous, less caring...but not much.  
  
It disturbed Cory that a twisted, evil version of her might not take that much manipulating. She'd always been a go-getter, striving to get noticed, to get better, more meaningful assignments. She'd thought it was a need to show people the truth, to tell them how things really were. What if it was just a power trip? A chance to show people how important she could be? And if she could be like that, well...  
  
That was why she was here. She wasn't like that. Even deeper down, below her doubts and fears, she knew that. She had her beliefs, and she would not compromise them. And she was here to prove that to the universe she had, in a sense, abandoned.  
  
She paused again. She was getting close to the top of Gauda Prime, near the shuttle bays. *Now, if I were a nasty, evil, manipulative version of myself, where would I hide a camera crew? And how well would they know me?* she mused.  
  
Not very well, she decided. She'd probably try to appear like some kind of vid star, haughty and professional. She threw her head back, walked purposefully, and headed straight for the first room in the bay, throwing the door open.  
  
A row of vending machines stared back at her.  
  
*Rats. This never happens to the Angels,* the thought sourly.  
  
The third door in, she was rather surprised to see a vid team sitting around, smoking and looking generally bored. They looked up at her expectantly.  
  
She recovered quickly. "Time to go. Follow me."  
  
To her considerable relief, they did. She marched down the corridor, feeling more and more like the journalist she thought she'd abandoned so long ago.  
  
Now to put those investigative skills into use, she mused. She subvocalised, barely whispering. "Got a trace on him yet, Lor?"  
  
An almost inaudible voice buzzed near her ear. "No, but he's on Level Twelve. Go there, and I'll see if I can get you closer."  
  
Cory smiled to herself. She could almost get used to this spy stuff...  
  
***  
  
Shasti resisted the urge to start breaking things as she came to the top of the ladder. Another catwalk, leading across the chasm under them and ending at yet another ladder. For the past five minutes, all they had been doing was climbing, and Shasti was just now beginning to get a real sense of how large Jimmy's complex was.  
  
They'd gone in assuming it was mostly a temporary base of operations for 3WA, as Jimmy had claimed. However, the more Shasti and Minerva saw of it, the more it became apparent that Jimmy had designed the base, making it perfect for not only a pitched battle but his deranged sense of drama as well.  
  
The outer complex, including most of the public areas, were the gleaming metal corridors you would expect from the Worlds Welfare Works Association. As you went in further, though, the walls gradually changed to a concrete base. The explosions the two of them had heard earlier made the reason for that obvious: collapsing tunnels and live burials made easy.  
  
Shasti had been adamant about going after Deirdre, but Minerva had stood her ground. She pointed out that they were the ones who needed to take Jimmy by surprise now, and running after her just gave him the advantage. Deirdre was a trained, capable 3WA agent, now removed of any devices which Jimmy might use to re-establish control over her mind. She could take care of herself.  
  
Logically, Shasti knew this. But lately logic hadn't been ruling her thought processes. She was as close to fully human as she could get now. That included the unpredictable emotions that went along with it, which were far more volatile than the simple ones her four personas had been installed with. She wanted to protect Deirdre. She wanted her to be safe. It was similar to what she'd felt when making sure that Cory wasn't going on this mission.  
  
Eventually, though, Shasti had given in to Minerva, and they'd headed as best they could to the centre of the complex, taking a roundabout route whenever Jimmy's bulkheads blocked them. Shasti rationalised it by admitting that if she ever admitted this to Deirdre, the woman would likely scream at her. Deirdre was not the sort to let Shasti protect her. Neither was Cory, come to that.  
  
The innermost part of the complex, when they arrived, proved to be a real piece of work. It was almost factory-like. Ladders, rickety metal stairs, transoms, catwalks, I-beams...it was like the ending to every action holo Shasti had ever seen. She stared at Minerva in disbelief, but the other woman merely shrugged, and started to climb.  
  
Shasti was startled out of her reveries by something she was beginning to think she'd never see...the top of the structure. There was no connection to the outside, no airlocks or other means of escape. Just a rounded metal roof, smooth and flawless. The catwalks extended all around the edge...with several key slats missing, Shasti noted idly. In addition, Jimmy appeared to have suspended a large vehicle near one end, with a polearm device. Shasti walked carefully over to it, trying to figure out what it was.  
  
"Any idea who Chapman Nike is?"  
  
Minerva joined her. "It's a crane. God knows what Jimmy wants with it...maybe it's here as muscle? If controlled properly, I suppose it could be used to shove someone over the side. I suspect we can just add it to the growing list of Jimmy's delusional tendencies."  
  
Shasti nodded to her companion. "You've got to hand it to Jimmy, he thinks big."  
  
"Thank you. How ironic, I was just about to give *you* a hand."  
  
Shasti and Minerva spun around, seeing Jimmy standing at the top of the ladder. He smiled at them, and waved what Shasti realised with disgust was a severed hand. A cold feeling welled in her stomach as she realised who that hand might have belonged to.  
  
Minerva wasted no time in firing. Jimmy ducked, but the bolt still managed to clip his head. He dropped and rolled along the catwalk, body checking himself against a support to keep from falling into the central chasm. He got to his feet with a glare, rocking back and forth in case he needed to move again. "No, no! You're not supposed to shoot right away! You have to let me talk, gloat over my victory! *Then* we--gah!"  
  
Shasti had moved as quickly as possible, hoping to catch Jimmy with enough force to throw him over. He twisted again, however, falling limply to the floor and kicking backwards. Shasti found herself flying over Jimmy, heading for the rail. She tried to force herself down, but her momentum was simply too great. She hit the rail hard, feeling her shoulder twinge in agony. Her gun fell from her, spiralling down into the depths below. She lashed out and caught another part of the rail, trying to give herself enough leverage to fall back to the other side.  
  
That was when the hand that Jimmy had been clutching hit her in the face.  
  
It didn't distract her for long, but it was long enough for Jimmy to kick her over the side. She desperately grabbed for any kind of purchase as she started to fall...  
  
And was hit with a crane hook. Hard.  
  
For a second or two, she slid down it, dazed. Then she realised what was happening and gripped the hook tightly, allowing it to pull her up and over to the opposite side.  
  
Gasping, she fell to the deck. She didn't allow herself too much time to recover, staggering to her feet and preparing for Jimmy's next manoeuvre.  
  
Jimmy, however, was looking towards the crane and clapping wildly. Following his gaze, Shasti saw Minerva in the cockpit of the crane, manipulating the controls. The crane hook slowly moved back to the centre of the chasm, still wobbling slightly.  
  
"Yes! Bravo!" Jimmy was shouting. "Now *that's* the sort of thing this is all about! Daring last-minute rescues, impressive stunts! I must admit that Shasti's form was off...quite frankly, I think Deirdre would have been more graceful. But you make do with what you have, I suppose."  
  
Mention of Deirdre annoyed Shasti. She started to shout something back, when a flash caught her eye from below. Puzzled, she looked down.  
  
A mobile camera unit was headed towards the top. Two, in fact, with some sound equipment as well. And at the head of this makeshift arrangement was a familiar dirty-blonde figure.  
  
*What the hell is she doing here?* Shasti thought. Then another nasty thought occurred to her. *What if it's the clone?* In fact, that made a lot more sense. The clone was the one who would bring the camera crew, utilising her new-found TV fame to its best advantage.  
  
Glancing back up, she saw Jimmy was still pontificating, apparently telling Minerva all about how he'd constructed this place to be perfect for a final epic battle. She took the opportunity to move back towards the ladder, ready to take out the clone quickly. Hopefully after she was killed the camera crew would get the hint and take off.  
  
The clone's voice drifted up to her.  
  
"Going live in five...four...three...two..."  
  
Shasti tensed.  
  
"Hi, folks! Greetings from the top of a ridiculously dramatic superstructure! I'm Cory Emerson, formerly of the magazine High Sense, now working for whatever corporate whores I sold my soul to this month. We're here to show you the downfall of one of the most powerful organisations in the known galaxy."  
  
Shasti blinked. This was not what she was expecting. She wondered if this was meant to be merely a diversion to distract her from Jimmy. She risked a glance behind her. Nope, he was still talking. She returned her focus to the clone (was it a clone?) and her crew, now only a level below her.  
  
"...Daltrey, the man who effectively runs 3WA now that the Central Computer has been destroyed, has apparently lost what little sanity he had left in the first place. Turning the remaining 3WA agents into his own personal strike force through a propaganda campaign, he immediately went to work trying to gain revenge on one woman - a woman whom he had become convinced was the sole cause of all of his failures."  
  
It was a good speech. Shasti's eyes narrowed. It was exactly the sort of thing she'd expect the clone to do to gain her trust. A clever mixture of words and smiles. She raised her gun again, getting more angry at this woman trying to pervert her friend's image.  
  
At least until she tripped on the last ladder, and went sprawling.  
  
"Gyah! Who put that there? Look, we'll edit that, OK?"  
  
"Right, ma'am," the cameraman said.  
  
"And stop trying to keep from laughing."  
  
"Ma'am?"  
  
"...Oh, skip it. Come on."  
  
Shasti sighed, and put her gun away. The clone might be good, but she wasn't that good.  
  
"Shasti!"  
  
Shasti spun, hearing Minerva's voice. Jimmy had gone over to a wall while he was chatting and opened a panel. Now the crane appeared to be slowly tipping over, with Minerva still in the cab.  
  
Cursing herself, Shasti ran towards Jimmy, who seemed totally unfazed. "You were ignoring me, that wasn't right either. You're not supposed to ignore me. I really wish you'd do what you're supposed to do."  
  
Shasti glared at him. She needed more time. "Where's Deirdre?"  
  
Jimmy blinked. "She's *dead*. Didn't you see the hand I threw at you? My God, I thought you were supposed to be clever."  
  
Shasti felt her stomach clench, but kept coming. Cory and the crew were at the ladder now, but to their credit weren't trying to get involved. Besides, she didn't believe that Deirdre was really dead, in any case. She was sure she'd have felt it immediately, even without any psychic link like the one Kei and Yuri shared.  
  
Instead, she concentrated on giving back to Jimmy what he was trying to do to her. She was in control of herself now. She wasn't insane, or fragmented, or an emotional wreck. This was her battle.  
  
"Oh, but I am clever, Jimmy. I'm clever, and talented, and beautiful. I'm the best agent 3WA ever had. Their grand success. There were a few bugs, sure, but they worked through them because they believed in me. Because Deirdre believed in me."  
  
He rushed her, as she thought he might, trying to throw her off balance again. She was ready for him this time, however, and threw her weight to the right, against the wall. She reached out and caught his arm as he went by, throwing him down to the ground roughly. She smiled as she heard it snap.  
  
There was movement behind her, but she didn't dare look up. Instead she tried to leap over Jimmy to get to the crane controls. Jimmy boosted himself upward, catching her between the legs and sending her sprawling. She gasped as he aimed a kick at her stomach, forcing the air from her lungs. He followed up by leaping on top of her, and wrapping his hands around her neck.  
  
A moment later, however, she was free. Deirdre had appeared, kicking Jimmy off of Shasti and shoving him back towards the stairs. Thankfully Cory and her crew had moved a little further down. Deirdre turned to follow up on the attack when Shasti stopped her, noting her broken wrist.  
  
"Deirdre! Get the crane. I'll take care of Jimmy." She smiled at Deirdre, a glint in her eyes. Her partner nodded and moved to help Minerva.  
  
Shasti turned back towards Jimmy, who was looking almost rabid, little flecks of white appearing around his mouth. "Gee, Jimmy, where's your corpse? See? I knew she wasn't dead. I trust her, and I know she's better than you."  
  
Jimmy glanced at Deirdre, trying to decide what to do, but in the end must have decided he wanted to kill Shasti more. He moved again, aiming for her legs. This time she didn't leap, but instead tucked into a somersault and rolled backwards. He ended up sprawled on the deck. Shasti immediately delivered a snap kick to his face, spinning him around and pushing him further down the catwalk, towards the crane.  
  
"You've never been able to trust anyone, Jimmy. Because you just don't have it in you. You're not capable of trust, of hope, of love. You thought you trusted Bast, but you betrayed that trust. You're not human."  
  
Jimmy was limping now, and eyed her warily, not ready to try for another attack. Shasti kept coming at him, driving him further around the circular pathway, back towards the ladder.  
  
Suddenly another figure appeared at the head of the ladder. *Boy, this has really become a tourist trap,* Shasti mused. Then she saw who it was and grinned, sending a punch towards Jimmy as he continued to back up.  
  
"Rei and I are both human, though. Not because of anything done to us by others. Because we were able to surpass what we had, do more with it. Because we could make friends, despite everything. We transcended what we were. You stayed put. You can't come up with original ideas or feelings, can you? This whole epic final battle is straight out of cheap holos and books. I get the feeling you're listening to me because it's part of the big final speech the hero gets to make."  
  
She had almost backed him to the ladder now. Now all she had to do was talk for a few seconds more, keep Jimmy from noticing the girl who stood behind him like the vengeance of heaven.  
  
"Well, guess what, Jimmy, we can think for ourselves. We don't have to pay attention to your cliches and your little mind games. In fact, I don't even have to stand here listening to you. Now, Rei."  
  
Jimmy straightened up, but didn't even get to turn. Rei lashed out, kicking him with such force that he rose nearly ten feet in the air. For a moment, he hung there, reaching out towards Shasti. Then he fell, carried along the arc Rei had sent him. He tumbled down three stories before he hit the opposite catwalk, falling against it with a sickening crunch.  
  
Deirdre walked up to Shasti. "You OK?"  
  
Shasti didn't say anything, she just hugged Deirdre, clutching her tightly for a few seconds.  
  
Minerva was heading down the ladder. "Speaking of cliches, I'd better go down there and verify that he's dead. After that, I think we should head back to Boondock and see how Jubal and the Angels did with the other 3WA agents."  
  
Shasti, an arm still around her partner, walked over to Cory, who was busy trying to convince the camera crew that they'd been working with an evil clone for the past year. "Oh, Cory?"  
  
Cory suddenly locked up, and turned to the pair looking much like a deer caught in headlights. "Um...hi, Shasti...good job."  
  
Deirdre smiled sweetly. "Cory, why are you here? Didn't everyone, including Shasti and I, tell you you didn't have to participate? Didn't you say you never wanted to do this again?"  
  
Cory was looking at her feet and blushing. Shasti really wished she had a camera.  
  
"Well, y'know, I wasn't just gonna sit there...I mean, you guys hadn't reported in...and there was an opportunity...I didn't want to see...oh, stop that?"  
  
Shasti blinked. "Hmm?"  
  
Cory seemed to be back to her usual self. "Don't give me that big gooey look! You know it makes me uncomfortable!"  
  
Shasti smiled. "Then this should really embarrass you." She leaned down and kissed Cory on the cheek. "Thank you for caring about us."  
  
"Gyah!" Cory said, blushing. She looked down at her feet. "Anytime," she added quietly.  
  
Minerva came back up to the top. "Well, if he wasn't dead before, he certainly is now. I just cut him into little bits."  
  
The camera crew looked fairly disturbed by this remark, but Cory just shook her head. "Don't worry. We have quite a few things to show you about the late Mr. Daltrey. Everything will become clear. Hell, you'll probably get an Emmy or two..."  
  
Shasti headed for the ladder, then stopped. Rei was still standing where she'd kicked Jimmy, tears streaming down her face.  
  
"Rei, it's OK. It's all over."  
  
The pale girl kept shaking her head, however, harder and harder. Shasti came over and grabbed her, trying to get her to stop, but she couldn't seem to keep still. "Minerva!" Shasti shouted.  
  
Minerva rushed over with a hypo of some sort, expertly holding it to Rei and sending her into unconsciousness. Minerva then touched a spot behind her neck. "Laz, could you home in on my signal? We're done, and need to get Rei back to Ishtar."  
  
Shasti looked down at the girl. "Is she relapsing?"  
  
Minerva shook her head. "It's probably just a minor emotional breakdown...they've been getting shorter, but she still has them. Don't worry, she'll be fine." Minerva looked at Shasti curiously. "Are *you* all right?"  
  
Shasti smiled, looking over at her best friends.  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
***  
  
Shasti sighed. She and Deirdre had come here to wish those of the 3WA agents who were going back a pleasant goodbye. However, since most of those agents still weren't speaking to her, if not actively trying to kill her, she didn't expect it to be a pleasant experience.  
  
Most of the 3WA agents, when told the truth of Jimmy Daltrey's manipulations of their organisation, believed it implicitly. It made sense, and explained many things they'd always wondered about Jimmy but had never dared voice. There was not a problem getting them to accept it.  
  
Accepting that Shasti was better, and was now reasonably sane...that was harder. Jimmy hadn't invented Shasti's criminal period, he'd just used it in his propaganda. He hadn't even needed to embellish events. Shasti was a symbol, to the entire organisation, of the agent gone bad. Pure, unadulterated evil. Seeing that she was not only their saviour but hadn't even seemed to be punished for what she had done...that did not sit well with them at all.  
  
Truth to tell, it didn't sit all that well with Shasti either.  
  
Walking out to the dry-dock, they saw that most everyone had left already. Most of the agents were returning to clean up the wreckage of 3WA and try to start things up again. It wasn't going to be easy. They'd gotten used to giving the Central Computer a lot of control, and now it was gone. But they were trying anyway. That was good. Shasti wished them luck, even if they wouldn't take it from her.  
  
Asuka and Bast were standing by Gay Deceiver, talking with Laz and Lor about the final preparation. This was the last trip the ship would be taking back to Pacifica. Bast had asked that Lazarus and company cut off contact with their people unless it was an emergency, and Lazarus had readily agreed.  
  
Asuka smiled as they walked up. She had recovered from the injuries Jimmy had given her, and seemed ready to go back to being a full-time agent. More than her physical injuries, though, she seemed an almost totally different person mentally. She'd always had self- confidence, but it was the nervous boasting of someone who expects the facade to be ripped away at any moment. This Asuka was comfortable, both with herself and with others. Several agents considered it eerie.  
  
"Hi there! Come to say goodbye?"  
  
Shasti sighed. "Yeah. Guess it is really goodbye. Are you sure you want to do this, Bast?"  
  
Bast nodded. He too had managed to recover from the injuries Jimmy and the Cory clone had inflicted on him, though it wasn't as obvious in how he carried himself. He was rather startled that Ishtar was able to put his arm back on without much trouble, and kept flexing it thinking that it would come loose again.  
  
It startled him when the agents voted to have him take over running 3WA itself. He'd tried to argue against it, but it was clear that they wanted someone *without* grand plans or ambitions in charge, to avoid situations similar to the one Jimmy had set up, or even what the Central Computer had done. Bast didn't know whether to be pleased or insulted, but he eventually took the job.  
  
"I don't want to always have Boondock as a safe haven in case of danger. We've got to be able to stand on our own two feet, without calling for help."  
  
"But that doesn't mean you need to totally cut off any links," Deirdre pointed out.  
  
"No, but I think it would be too much of a temptation for me," Bast said. "The agents are putting a lot of faith in me, and I don't know how much of it I deserve. I was the one who sat around while Jimmy played his little games, too scared to say anything or do anything about it. Even my going back to confront Jimmy was just guilt."  
  
Asuka responded by whacking Bast in the back of the head. "Dummkopf. Everyone has their own reasons for doing things, and not all of them have to be great and moral. If you'd run away, or stayed behind, *that* would be something to be shamed about. But you didn't. You went to confront him, and that took guts. We all know that, or we wouldn't have voted you in."  
  
Bast smiled ruefully. "Well, I suppose I'll have enough time to accept it." He paused. "It would help if the two of you came back with us."  
  
Shasti's eyes narrowed slightly. "I will not return to 3WA. Beyond what they may have done to me in the past, I'm a symbol of evil to most of your agents. My criminal record has been held before them as the ultimate betrayal. It's impossible to change that kind of opinion without a tremendous amount of work, and frankly, I just don't feel like making the effort. Especially when I have so many friends here who can help me begin to atone for my past."  
  
Bast sighed. "I know. You're right, of course."  
  
Rei came running up, grinning. "Got everything! We're all set, I think, unless anyone else is coming."  
  
Shasti rolled her eyes. Rei, too, had recovered, though hers was taking longer. She had benefited greatly from talking to Asuka, and the two of them now seemed to be very close. Her mood swings were getting farther apart, but also seemed to be longer in duration. Right now she must have been at the high end of her emotional spectrum, as she seemed incredibly happy and hyper.  
  
Rei gave Bast a quick once-over, and snuggled up against him. "Are we still going back with you, Mr. Weinberg?"  
  
*Ah. And horny,* Shasti added to herself.  
  
Asuka's reaction was immediate. "Knock that off!" she shouted, pulling Rei away from the flustered Bast. "You're making a spectacle of yourself!"  
  
Rei pouted and turned to her friend. "I'm sorry, Asuka."  
  
Asuka threw her head back. "Better."  
  
Rei then reached over and pulled her partner close. "You're feeling neglected. I understand. But just because I like Bast doesn't mean I don't like you too."  
  
Asuka's head dropped momentarily, then she took Rei's hand. "We need to talk. Sir, we'll be in the back."  
  
Bast was still recovering from being the subject of Rei's amorous attentions. 'Um...right, off you go."  
  
Rei was gleeful. "Oh, we're going somewhere more private?"  
  
"Would you get your mind out of the gutter?!" Asuka screamed, dragging Rei inside the ship.  
  
Rei turned back to Shasti and Deirdre. "Bye! Oh, could you tell Hilda that I was the one who killed those Kei and Yuri clones? I feel kinda bad about it now..." Then she disappeared.  
  
Deirdre and Shasti had stood watching this with bemused looks on their faces, even with that last startling revelation. "It's gratifying to see that 3WA isn't losing all of its character."  
  
Shasti nodded. "You know, if those two play their cards right, they could be the next Dirty Pair."  
  
"Lovely Angels!" came a faint cry from somewhere down the corridor.  
  
Bast blinked. "How good is their hearing?"  
  
"When it comes to that phrase, almost infinite," Shasti sighed.  
  
Bast finished his checks. "Well, we're off. I still wish more of you were coming back...I can't help but think that we're leaving with bad blood between us."  
  
Deirdre sighed. "It's not you, Bast, it's what you represent. Look at the facts. We have no reason to love 3WA. Even without Jimmy, they treated us like an experiment. Kei and Yuri are staying because they still need to work with Tamara and Minerva to hone their empathic powers, and they're getting a better deal working with the Time Corps. Zen is staying with his Angels no matter where they go. Jamie and Bridget wanted to retire and raise Rachel anyway, and here they can relax without worrying about any issues that may come from their former profession. Cory's staying here because all her friends are here, plus she's having more fun annoying Lazarus than she has in years. Lots of people are saying she'll end up opting into the Long family in a year or two.  
  
"Other than that, *everyone* else agreed to come back with you. That's a pretty good track record, Mr. Weinberg, especially considering what some of them had been through."  
  
Bast nodded. "I'll try to think of it that way. Still, it's tough when the top agents of your organisation unanimously decide to quit."  
  
Shasti snorted. "Just means you have some new top agents."  
  
After grabbing his bag, Bast turned and bowed slightly to the pair. "Good luck, you two. Not everyone gets a second chance on life." Then he walked into the ship, ignoring the sounds of screaming coming from the rear.  
  
Shasti and Deirdre retreated back into the safety of the corridor, watching as Gay Deceiver pinged out of existence and went on her way.  
  
Deirdre turned to her partner. "So, where to?"  
  
"Good question."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
Shasti looked down, deep in thought. "Bast was right, you know. This is a second chance for you. Heck, it's a *first* chance for me. What kind of life have I ever had? A pawn for 3WA, a insane criminal, an emotional basket case. But that's all over now. I'm as stable as I'm going to get. I have a normal body, not dependent on computers or data downloads. I'm free. Free to choose whatever I want to do."  
  
There was a long pause, then Deirdre said, "So what *do* you want to do?"  
  
Shasti blinked. "I've no idea."  
  
They both laughed, destroying the sombre mood. "Well, partner, why don't we go talk to our friends and see what we can come up with?" Deirdre finally said.  
  
Together, the two walked back down the corridor, ready to find out what awaited them in this new and exciting universe.  
  
THE END  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Wow. This took a long time. A *long* time. And got much bigger than I thought. And far more complex. And with a *lot* more gratuitous cameos than I'd ever planned. In a sense, this was a fic where I could relax and just throw in the kitchen sink if I felt I could get away with it. I hope it ended up being fairly readable as well.  
  
This is Shasti's fic, so it's fitting that she gets the last couple of scenes to star in. I first ran into her when I read Larry Mann's Experiment 101-E (which Larry was kind enough to let me refer to for background and history), and really felt for her situation. Later I read Reunions, and enjoyed it even more. I finally picked up the original Adam Warren last year (after this was started, oddly enough), and it's OK, but it was Larry and Ryan Mathews who left the biggest impression on me when I wrote Shasti and Deirdre here.  
  
Deirdre is hard to write. For one thing, the Valley accent can be a pain, especially in prose writing. I ended up using it sparingly. She also tends to function as 'Shasti support' a lot in this fic. Maybe if I ever write anything else with her, I can give her something meatier to do.  
  
Cory is, as I mentioned in I Am One notes, a breeze for me to write. I fell in love with her in the process of writing this, as many have been wont to do. She's such a wonderful person to do dialogue for, and I've never forgiven Warren for abusing her character in Fatal But Not Serious. That, more than anything, was the reason for the 'retcon' I did.  
  
The Angels had a larger role to play in this fic than I Am One, but still ended up essentially playing second fiddle in what is still titled a 'Dirty Pair' story. Despite that, I felt they grew a lot in this, both emotionally and psychically. ^_^  
  
Heinlein's Future History series has always fascinated me, and the concept of World as Myth enabled me to be able to work it in with only a few problems (such as writing Lazarus without my readers wanting to throw him through a wall). I don't know how faithful I ended up being, but it was still a lot of fun to write, and let me abuse a few deus ex machinas without being taken to task for them. Certainly it was easier to write than L. Frank Baum's Oz, which was something I wanted to do but ended up mostly dropping. Baum was a true original, and I urge everyone to read his books, especially if they've only seen the movie.  
  
Now, the cameos. Hoo boy. It all originated with Greg Sandborn, whose 'Nabiki: New Horizons' series makes use of a few authors in small roles, including myself. I decided to write him into I Am One as the guy that Cory kept irritating. Unfortunately, his role expanded, and he became the villain, and eventually morphed into Jimmy Daltrey. In return I offered Greg a minor mention in WGFA.  
  
Well, then my brain started getting wonky on me. I remembered Zen's stories in the Revenge Wars, and put him into the fic. Then Richard Lawson, Mike Loader, Sebastian Weinberg, Chris Davies...let's face it, it got really gratuitous.  
  
I also included a few cameos from other anime series. Evangelion was the most obvious, with Asuka and Rei having major roles, and Ritsuko and Maya appearing in small parts. I was intrigued at the thought of Asuka and Rei forced to work together as TCs, and wondered how their backstory might be altered to fit the 3WA universe. Slayers appeared because Lina and Naga were the *most* obvious pair to be TC's. Fushigi Yuugi ended up in this fic, even though I've never seen it, because I needed a character to die graphically at Jimmy's hands, and didn't want to use Chibi-Usa, so Miaka was the next most obvious choice. ^_^  
  
More obscure things...the Blake's 7 refs are mostly Zen's fault. The Chapman Nike Crane is purely gratuitous, and is a ref to SCTV. The phrase 'big gooey look' is (C) 1999 Gina Dartt, who writes the best Janeway/Seven fanfics I've read. Oh, and 'Wake up! Time to die!' is not only a quote from Blade Runner, but a great song by Pop Will Eat Itself. ~Glass jaw, alcohol whore...~  
  
So as you can see, this is perhaps my biggest, most sprawling work. But hey, it's done. It would not be done without the persistence, nagging, comments, criticism, and support of: Zen (first above all), RpM, Jeff Hosmer, Richard Lawson, Nicholas Leifker, Sebastian Weinberg, Greg Sandborn, Chris Davies, Ed Becerra, Christian Bremer, David Lindquist, and Trisha Sebastian. Thanks to all, especially Zen and RpM for doing pre-pre-reads and Jeff for taking time out from being really sick to tear this apart and point out the gaping plot holes. Special thanks to Jamie Wilde for giving me advice on some of the aspects of Bast's torture. Here's hoping this fanfic's Jamie, Bridget and Rachel can now like happily ever after.  
  
And of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention The Who. My fics have always been influenced by what I listen to to a greater or lesser degree, but Quadrophenia was the foundation for this fanfic, as well as its predecessor. If you haven't heard it yet...you need to.  
  
It's DONE! Yeeha!  



End file.
